


Doctor's Orders

by wordsofink



Series: solangelo one-shots [15]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Babysitting, Baking, Birthday, Camp Half-Blood, Caring boyfriends, Cats, Childhood, Coffee Shop, Coffee Shops, College AU, Comfort, Complete, Cuddles, Cute, Deaf!Will, Demigod!Will, Demigods, Doctor!Will, Dogs, Domestic, Familiars, First Meetings, Friendsgiving, Games, Grocery Store, High School AU, Kisses, Lakes, Libraries, M/M, Meet-Cute, Miscommunication, Mortal AU, One-Shots, Original Character - Freeform, Slam Poetry, Sleepy Boys, Some fighting, fast food worker!will, hand holding, mortal!nico, park, percabeth parents, solangelo, surprise, willsolaceappreciation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:34:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22566376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordsofink/pseuds/wordsofink
Summary: Back with more solangelo one-shots :) tags/warnings will be added as writing continues*characters are not mine unless otherwise stated*1: early mornings - good boyfriends and wholesome cuddles2: first meeting - nico keeps seeing a cute dog3: tap tap tap - one way to say i love you4: birthday surprise - nico's birthday5: just meant to be - nico ditches prom6: happiness - these kids deserve happiness7: friendship - tangent #28: diapers and cute guys - one way to woo a cute guy9: sunrise - nico's boyfriend has a secret10: happy birthday, will - will solace appreciation 202011: we're friends, right? - nico's crush has a girlfriend**Portuguese translation by masterlarrypiece!: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26225647**
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Jason Grace & Nico di Angelo, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Will Solace & Piper McLean
Series: solangelo one-shots [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/976347
Comments: 84
Kudos: 316





	1. early mornings

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [falling into place](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15003650) by [wordsofink](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordsofink/pseuds/wordsofink). 



> the above linked fic is for one of my larger series "Falling Into Place" that chapter 7 is inspired by :) all links are in URL for on chapter 7 or linked a little better on the first chapter of "falling into place"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> early morning worries and wholesome cuddles

It’s way too early.

Nico’s not too surprised when he wakes to an empty bed. Will has odd hours, and he enjoys his quiet mornings while Nico loves to sleep in. What is surprising is how early it is. Nico tries to remember Will’s schedule for this week, remembering that he hadn’t had any early shifts because he’d taken that double shift last weekend for Cecil. So Will should be in bed, especially since he’d had a late shift last night, coming home around three in the morning. Nico remembers.

So where was Will?

Nico waits what he considers the appropriate amount of time for someone to use the bathroom before sighing. He really doesn’t want to leave the warmth and comfort of his bed, but he also misses his boyfriend. Nico pushes himself out of bed, wrapping a blanket around his shoulders as he trudges down the hall. The bathroom light is off. Will’s not in the kitchen or on the couch. Which means that Will’s probably on the balcony.

Nico tiptoes past the couch, poking his head past the curtain. Sure enough, Will is curled up on the bench out there, staring out over the railing. Nico steps back, deciding he’ll make some tea and fetch another blanket before heading out. He pulls on some socks while the tea’s steeping. Then he carries the two mugs and blankets out with him, knocking softly so he doesn’t startle Will.

“Hey, sunshine,” Nico says quietly. “Everything okay?”

Will shrugs, accepting the tea as Nico drapes the blanket across their laps, sitting down. Will immediately scoots closer, laying his head against Nico’s shoulder. Nico turns his head, dropping a few kisses into Will’s hair.

“You’re up early,” Nico says.

Will hums. “Couldn’t sleep.”

Nico nods, letting silence fall again. He knows better than to push Will on these early mornings. It was barely five in the morning, the sun not quite up yet. The city was still quiet, only the lullaby of traffic and birds. Will lifts his head to take a sip of his tea before settling back against Nico.

Moments pass, and Nico breathes them in. It’s not like they get a lot of time like this. Every moment spent together was a gift, and a lot of their dates recently had consisted of cooking together, music in the background, Will’s laughter as Nico recounts his day. Moments so packed with life and feeling to make up for when they were apart.

But now was different. Now was quiet and gentle and so full of love that it kind of overwhelms Nico. They’d spent countless mornings like this when Will was just getting started, when every setback felt like a complete failure, when the hours had been too much, when they fought about things that hardly mattered in retrospect. But those days had faded away as they worked things out, communicated better, made time for each other again.

“I think I want to change tracks,” Will says, drawing Nico out of his thoughts. “I like surgery, but I don’t think I can do this forever. Or even another year.”

Nico laces their fingers together, stroking his thumb over the back of Will’s hand.

“It’s just so much,” Will starts again. “So many people and hours and terrible nights.” Nico nods. He knows those nights. No matter how hard Will works, he can’t save everyone. He’d been told that it’d get easier, but Nico knows Will. He’d never be able to see a patient as just a patient. He studied to save lives, to protect them and usher them to safety. But being a doctor didn’t promise that.

“Did something happen last night?”

Will hums. He doesn’t elaborate, but Nico gets the gist. “I just don’t want everything I’ve worked so hard for to be a waste, you know? All that money and those years of studying.”

Nico looks at Will, gently tilting his face to look at him. “None of that was a waste, Will. You saved lives. You helped a lot of people.” Will starts to argue, but Nico stops him. “You had a dream, and you went for it. I’m so proud of you, Will.”

Will leans into his touch, lifting his head a little to ask for a kiss. Nico obliges, smiling as he pulls back. He brushes back Will’s curls.

“I don’t really know what to do now. I can’t just quit.”

Nico sets his mug down, wrapping his arms around Will. The morning air was warm, but hugs were always in season. Will lets out a content sigh, snuggling into Nico’s arms.

“Maybe we could look at some other options?” Nico suggests. “You were thinking about pediatrics once. And you love babysitting for Jason and Piper. You’re good with kids.”

“Yeah. And I’d have better hours.” He pauses. “I might have to go back to school, though.”

“We can do some research, yeah?” He kisses Will’s nose. “But I want you to know that you’re not stuck. There are other options, and I’m going to be right here with you. We’ll figure this out, okay?”

Will nods. “I just- it finally felt like we’d gotten settled. And now I’m rethinking things.”

Nico understands. Things hadn’t been easy starting out. Money had been going towards rent and school and groceries which left little for extras. Stress had been high, and time spent making money was less time spent together. But they’d gotten through it. They would get through this, too.

“We’re in this together, remember?”

Will gives a little snort. “How could I forget?”

“So how about we take this step by step? Do some research, explore options, stay calm.” He leans down to get his tea, taking a sip. “But the first step is to cuddle with your amazing boyfriend.”

This gets a laugh out of Will. Nico smiles as Will wraps his arms around Nico, tucking his head underneath Nico’s chin. He tugs the blanket over them, feeling content as the sun finally comes up. The city’s awake, but they don’t have anywhere to be right now.

“You’re amazing, Nico. Thank you.”

“Anything for you, sunshine.”

Will shifts to kiss Nico’s jaw before settling back against his chest. It’s way too early to be up, but Nico doesn’t care if he’s got Will in his arms and a heart full of love. Early mornings are worth all of this.


	2. first meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A cute dog keeps appearing. Maybe there's a cute boy not too far behind?

Nico’s just chilling in his backyard, trying to enjoy some sun. He’d spent the last week and a half huddled up in his room trying to finish an avalanche of projects, and just fifteen minutes ago, he’d submitted the last one. So he was taking some much-needed time for himself.

Namely, getting his vitamin D since his sister had said he was looking pale and ghost-like. She’d shooed him outside with a glass of lemonade and sunscreen, and now Nico was painting on his patio. It felt good to have natural warmth against his skin, the tickle of weeds coming up through the cracks in the stones. His familiar, a black cat, was lying beside him.

Bella, also glad for the sun, was fully splayed out. She looked like a puddle of black hole against the patio, very content to soak up every ounce of sunlight that could reach her. Nico smiles, reaching over to stroke her head. She purrs, licking at her paws. Nico rolls his eyes. He had paint on his fingers, but it didn’t particularly bother him.  
“I know,” he mumbles. “No point in washing up now, though. I’ve only gotten the outlines done.”

Bella seems to roll her eyes right back, flicking her tail. Nico knows she’s not annoyed. She couldn’t care less if Nico were covered in paint as long as none of it touched her. Nico rubs her ears before going back to his painting. He wasn’t sure what the focus of it would be. So far, he’d only sketched out a landscape— just a generic field of trees and flowers.

Maybe he could paint his sister? As a burgeoning botanist, she loved to drag Nico into forests and fields to try and identify plants. Nico frowns at his paints, trying to remember the combination of colors he’d used for her last time. He’d finally gotten it almost right, and he was determined to not have to go through the entire process all over again.

He’s so distracted that he barely feels Bella perk up, tail curling around her as she peers into the backyard. She meows quietly, nudging Nico’s hand.

“Hey-” She knew Nico didn’t like it when she bothered his painting. “What’s up?”

Nico looks up in time to see a golden retriever bounding towards him. Nico glances at Bella, but she doesn’t offer any explanation. The dog stops short of running Nico over, tongue out and panting as he flops on the patio at Nico’s feet.

“Um, hello,” Nico says. He’s not used to animals just coming up to him. Most animals actually kind of avoided him, moving closer to their humans as Nico passed by. It wasn’t that he was intimidating, but there was something about him that seemed to throw everyone off. He knew better than to take it personally, knowing how familiars preferred their human’s company over anyone else’s and how particularly protective they could be of that space.

The dog seems friendly enough, not having any qualms about hanging with Nico, so Nico lets him stay. There isn’t a collar, which isn’t too strange. A lot of animals didn’t have collars or tags, people not wanting to lasso their familiars or even pets. Bella didn’t have any bells or tags, but she also didn’t go wandering off and snuggling up with strangers

“Are you alone?” Nico asks. He really hopes not. It was sad to think that this friendly dog didn’t have anyone. Nico watches as Bella sniffs the dog over, seeming to find him harmless. She curls up on Nico’s other side, licking at her paws. Nico doesn’t try to pet the dog, knowing that if this dog was a familiar, he might be intruding. But he lets the dog stay flopped over his feet as he goes back to his painting.

He isn’t sure how long the dog stays there, but he’s just finished painting in three trees when the dog jumps up, wagging his tail in Nico’s direction before bounding off.

“That was kind of weird, right?” Nico asks Bella. She seems to shrug. “Well, at least he was friendly.”  
-  
Nico doesn’t think too much of it until two days later when he sees the same dog. He’s out for a walk in the park by his house, trying to pass time while Hazel runs around collecting plant samples for her botany classes. She had tried to get him to help, but he doesn’t know an oak leaf from a maple. So he’d told her to text him when she was finished, and he’d get some exercise.

Bella’s walking beside him, sniffing at the different plants, staring at the ducks. Nico knows that’s his fault. Ducks were such funny creatures, he thought. Their bodies seemed so disproportionate for their legs and head, but they functioned just perfectly. Nico wonders what it’d be like to have a duck as a familiar. He can’t imagine cuddling with a duck.

He’s about to suggest to Bella that they go find a bench when he catches sight of a bright spot moving towards him. As it gets closer, he realizes that it’s a dog. A golden retriever, in fact. And quite possibly the same dog that had hung out in his backyard just a few days ago.  
The dog seems happy to see him, sniffing at his hands, at Bella. His tail is wagging, and his tongue is hanging out as he looks at them.

“Hey, again,” Nico says. He’s not sure why this dog keeps coming up to him (because it’s got to be the same dog, right?). The other dogs in the park ignore him, not paying Nico or Bella any attention. Nico glances around for anyone who might be missing a dog, but everyone is minding their own business.

“Nice to meet you,” Nico adds after a few moments. He walks over to a nearby bench and sits down. “I’m, uh, Nico. And this is Bella.” Bella hops into his lap, looking at the dog with an air of interest. She wasn’t the biggest fan of dogs, but she tolerated them because Nico liked dogs. So Nico’s surprised when she reaches out to bat at the dog’s tail. It’s playful, not meant to threaten at all, and the dog seems to almost smile at this before running back to wherever he’d come from.

“Well, that was definitely weird. What are the chances?”

Bella seems to shrug, rolling her eyes before going back to cleaning her paws.  
-  
Nico finds himself looking for the dog now whenever he goes out. A few times he sees people with dogs or even golden retrievers, but it’s never the same dog. They never perk up when they see Nico and Bella, never seem to care that they’re in the same space. And it’s weird because Nico can’t help but feel disappointed when he doesn’t see the dog again.

Bella also seems down, her ears perking up every time there’s a dog nearby. Nico knows she’s just feeding off of his feelings.

“What’s got you all grumpy?” Hazel asks. They’re sitting outside a cafe, having an afternoon snack. Nico’s finished off his chocolate croissant, but he’s still sipping at his tea. Bella’s got a cup of water that she’s ignoring in favor of cuddling with Hazel.

“Nothing. I’m not grumpy.”

Hazel raises her eyebrows, and Nico knows if Arion were here, he’d be judging Nico, too. As it was, Nico got the message. After all, Bella was in her lap, translating Nico’s moods.

“Well, you’re definitely looking for someone,” she says. “Have you met a guy? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I haven’t met anyone,” Nico says. Yet. He’s been hoping. “I’m just looking at the familiars. I hadn’t noticed how diverse they were.”

Hazel sighs, sipping at her hot chocolate. “You can’t fool me, Nico. I’m your sister. I know you went through that whole phase where you researched everything you could about familiars. So you of all people should know about the diversity. It hasn’t changed that much in the last five years.”  
She had him there.

“It’s really nothing,” Nico says. And it wasn’t. Nothing had happened. It didn’t mean anything if a dog had somehow found him twice and wanted to cuddle with him. Dogs were friendly creatures by nature. Maybe someone was still getting used to the bond.

“Well, I’m meeting up with Frank soon.” She kisses his cheek, disappearing down the street. Nico sighs. He still had some tea left, and Bella seemed content to stay in Hazel’s chair.

Nico zones out, thinking over the assignments that he had for this week. None of them were major projects, but there was a lot of reading. In fact, he should probably get home to do some of that. He and Bella were always extremely cranky when they had to pull all-nighters.

He’s just getting up when he feels something cold against his hand. He startles, looking down at a dog. What were the chances?

The dog sits, tail wagging joyfully as he looks at Nico. Nico smiles, waving. “Hey. Found me again, huh?”

“There you are!” comes a voice, and Nico startles. It takes him a moment to realize that the man isn’t talking to him but the dog. “Sorry about him.”

Nico shakes his head. “No worries. He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“I’m Will,” the man says, holding out his hand.

“Nico.” They shake hands, just kind of staring at each other for a moment. “Is he your familiar?”

Will blushes. “Yeah.” A pause. “He might have seen you around school and wanted to say hi.”

Nico raises his eyebrows. “He wanted to say hi?”

Will’s blush deepens. “And me. I might’ve wanted to say hi, too. But he’s braver than me. Or maybe dumber.”

Nico laughs, glancing at Bella. She seems very invested in this conversation, having come down from her chair to sit by the dog. “What’s his name?”

Will laughs. “Gods, sorry. This is Happy. Named him when I was six, so no judging.”

Nico smiles. It fits the dog and Will so well. And Nico has to admit that they’re both very cute. “So, Will. Nice to meet you. Would you maybe like to get some coffee?”

Will grins at him, and Nico thinks a dog fits him so well. “I’d love that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not too familiar with this idea, but I wanted to try it out :)
> 
> also, as you all might be able to tell, I'm trying to get back into writing


	3. tap tap tap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> first meetings and cute fluff

Will remembers the day they first met.

He’d been having an okay day that had quickly turned into a bad day when some random lady had yelled at him on the bus for who knows what. Will had quickly exited as soon as possible, leaving him still a few stops from his flat when it’d sporadically started raining. Deciding not to tempt fate much more, he ducks into the nearest coffee shop, pushing his hair back from his face.

The coffee shop is crowded, probably because everyone else knew it was going to rain. He finds a table near the back, setting his stuff down before going to the counter to order a hot chocolate and muffin. At least, the barista seems to understand him, punching in his order. Will glances at the screen to make sure he’s been heard correctly before handing over exact change.

When he gets back to his seat, he finds someone else sitting in it. For a moment, he just stands there, not sure what he should do. He doesn’t exactly want to speak to the person, but the guy is kind of blocking his stuff. And maybe it was Will’s fault for tucking it against the wall instead of just putting it on the chair, but he hadn’t wanted someone to steal it.

The guy looks up just as Will decides to step forward. He looks confused to see Will standing there, his mouth opening slowly. Will isn’t sure what to do either, so he points to his stuff. The guy scoots back, realization dawning as he sees Will’s bag tucked underneath the chair.

Will catches an apology before the guy keeps talking, and Will’s too tired to lip-read. He just shakes his head, and the guy stops, confused again. Will taps his ear, shaking his head, watching the guy’s eyes widen. After a moment, he raises his hand, signing slowly _sorry_.

Now it’s Will’s turn to be surprised. “You know sign?” he signs. It’s a little clumsy since he’s still holding his drink and muffin.

The guy looks sheepish. “Slower,” he signs. “I know a little.” He has to spell a bit, but Will’s okay with that. Most people didn’t even know the alphabet and just resorted to making exaggerated movements while they talked just as fast.

“May I sit?” Will asks. If they were going to keep talking or not, Will would like to eat his muffin. He’s hungry.

The guy smiles, making a fist with his hand. _Yes_. Will pulls out a chair and pulls his muffin out of its bag. He focuses on his muffin for a minute or so, trying to think of something to say to the guy. He was ridiculously attractive, and there was the plus that he knew some ASL

He doesn’t look up again until he sees a napkin slide into his vision. ‘Mind if I join you?’ Will gives him a thumbs up, not sure what the guy knew and didn’t. The guy pulls the napkin towards him. ‘I’m Nico. You?’ Will waits patiently while Nico slowly signs his name. It’s endearing in a way that Will’s never quite experienced.

Will smiles. He writes his name down, signing it slowly for Nico. Nico copies him. Will thinks how lucky he is that both he and Nico had short names. He could sign pretty fast, but sometimes his fingers cramped up when he had to sign at home, listing which brother did what. Name signs made things easier.

Will stops that train of thought. He’d just met Nico. As it was, though, they ended up staying there for another hour, trading little stories and questions back and forth. When they parted ways, Will had Nico’s number saved in his contacts and a smile on his face.

-

They’re cuddled up on the couch one night. Nico’s watching a show on TV while Will’s trying to finish a book. He’s only about thirty pages from the end, but Nico suspects he’s not really reading it. He hasn’t turned a page in about ten minutes, and Will was a pretty fast reader. What had really drawn Nico’s attention was Will’s rhythmic tapping, Will’s fingers brushing Nico’s arm, his knee, his hand.

“You okay?” Nico asks, squeezing Will’s hand to get his attention. He strokes his thumb over Will’s hand. They’ve been dating for about two months at this point, and Nico can’t believe how naturally they’ve merged their lives. Not that it hasn’t been without flaws and mishaps, but they seemed small in the grand scheme of things. Like how much Nico likes being with Will, from the big moments to the small. Though they kind of all felt like big moments. Even tonight.

Will nods, looking at Nico. Nico nods towards his book. “Any good?”

Will shrugs. “It’s okay.” Nico smiles. “You okay?”

Nico nods. Will shuts his book, nuzzling close to Nico. His nose brushes over Nico’s collarbone, his lips pecking at Nico’s neck. Nico lets out a small sigh, his hand moving to Will’s hair as Will kisses up his jaw, finally landing on his lips.

“Hi,” Will whispers, and Nico smiles. He loves it every time Will speaks. He loves that Will feels comfortable enough to speak with Nico, that he trusts Nico that much. Nico kisses him back until they’re smiling too big to be properly kissing.

“You seem nervous tonight,” Nico says when they pull back. He has to sign slowly, trying to remember the right motions. Will’s a patient teacher, and he waits for Nico to finish before answering. They’ve both come a long way since that first meeting. Now, Nico knows way more than just the alphabet.

Will frowns. “I’m okay,” he says. He kisses Nico for emphasis, smiling when Nico hums.

“You keep tapping,” Nico says, tapping Will as demonstration.

He’s not expecting Will to flush, his freckles disappearing underneath bright pink. Will hands move quickly before pausing and starting again. Nico doesn’t quite catch all of the words, and he has to ask Will to repeat.

“I love you.” And, yes, Nico gets the message this time. He can feel his heartbeat, feel Will’s hands a little sweaty in his, feels the seconds tick by.

“I love you, too,” he says, and Will beams. His nervous expression melts into a dopey smile, and he surges forward to kiss Nico. It’s sloppy because they can’t stop smiling again, and they pull back in a fit of giggles.

Will reaches out a hand, tapping Nico’s hand three times. “This means ‘I love you,’” he explains. It takes Nico a few seconds to get it, and then he’s the one flushing. Because if he thinks back, he can remember Will tapping him every now and then. Usually, it was Nico tapping Will to get his attention. But this was different.

This was Will professing his love all the time. When they were eating dinner, when he passed Nico in the hallway, when they were cuddling on the couch.

Later, Will explains that it was a thing his family did, a subtle but intentional way of expressing feelings. Words were hard, especially since Will wasn’t always sure how loud he was speaking or when Will’s brother’s anxiety was too high for words. Touch was a grounding and calming presence in his family, and he’d just naturally passed it on to Nico.

Nico doesn’t think it’s possible to fall further in love with Will, but he does so every day.

-

Will’s not sure who talked him into going to this party. He can practically feel the bass, so he can’t imagine how anyone can hear anything in this room. There’s barely enough room to sign the alphabet, but Will’s trying. Nico, like a good boyfriend, hasn’t left his side since they showed up.

“Wanna leave after I find Leo?” Nico asks.

Will shrugs. “If you want.” He definitely wants to, but he knows that at least some of these people are Nico’s friends.

Nico nods. “I don’t think Leo even knows half of these people,” he says. “He just throws good parties.”

If parties are defined by how loud the music is, Will could consider this a good party. He lets Nico leave him in the kitchen where there are snacks and drinks. He makes himself a plate of the assortment, mostly crackers and cheese. He manages to find fruit hidden behind a stack of forks.

From here, the party isn’t so bad. It’s kind of fun to watch everyone dancing and just having a good time. Despite the alcohol, no one seems overly drunk or crazy. In fact, most people seem to be trying to out-dance the other. Will leans against the counter, eating his snacks while he watches everything happening.

He thinks he remembers Nico saying that this was Leo’s party, but he’s not sure the occasion. All he knew was that Leo was a friend of a friend, but they still kept in touch every now and then. Will thought it was nice. He didn’t have a ton of friends, but he did his best to stay in touch.

Will finishes his snack, venturing out into the living room. He stays close to the edge, not wanting to enter the dancing competition. Though he’s sure he has as good a chance as everyone else with how loud the music is. Nico finds him somehow, a guy Will assumes is Leo in tow.

“This is my boyfriend, Will,” Nico says. He probably has to shout to be heard, and Leo nods. Will doesn’t bother trying to lip-read, knowing Nico will fill him in later. Instead, he just waves. They leave shortly after that.

“Remind me never to go to another of Leo’s parties,” Nico says when they’re in the car. “He just wanted to try out his latest inventions. Some sort of drink dispenser. And he apparently messed with the sound system. Be glad that you couldn’t hear whatever was coming out of those speakers.”

Will laughs. Nico’s speaking so fast, and his hands are a little delayed. Especially since he’s driving. But Will gets the gist. He rolls his eyes, knowing that Nico just liked complaining about Leo’s ridiculous inventions, though they happened to have a few of them at their flat. Will was particularly fond of the doorbell, one that not only chimed but lit up and texted Will’s phone so that Will knew when someone was outside, a housewarming gift.

They get ready for bed when they get home. Both of them have early morning things, so no late movies and cuddles. Will brushes his teeth while Nico showers, and then they’re climbing into bed. Nico smells like pomegranates and mint, a smell Will’s come to associate with home. He tucks himself into Nico’s arms, wanting to be the little spoon tonight. (They trade off since neither can decide which they like best.)

One of Will’s favorite things is to fall asleep to the steady rise and fall of Nico’s breathing. He isn’t sure how he used to fall asleep, back when he was single. Nico kisses his hair, tracing a heart along Will’s back. Will smiles. He loves their special language, how they can communicate in so many ways. How they have so many ways to say _I love you_.

Will brushes his fingers along Nico’s arm.

_One two three._

_Good night._

_I love you_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love the idea of the tapping, honestly


	4. birthday surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> birthday fun!

“Mama?” Will asks as he walks into the kitchen.

“I know that face,” Naomi says, smiling. “What do you want?”

Will blushes. “Could you teach me how to bake a cake?”

Naomi raises her eyebrows. “And what for? You’ve been perfectly fine eating all the cakes I’ve made without helping.”

Will groans. It’s a well-known fact that he’s not very competent in the kitchen, and that fact alone has kept him from pursuing any endeavor more complicated than reheating leftovers and the occasional boxed macaroni and cheese. Still, this was important.

“It’s for Nico,” Will says softly, his cheeks still red. “It’s his birthday in a few weeks, and I want to make it special for him.”

His mom’s expression softens, and Will hopes he knows what he’s getting himself into. “What kind of cake were you thinking?”

“Well, his favorite dessert is actually something way more complicated, but I was thinking that a cake might be easier. And tastier.” He pauses. “Maybe a yellow cake? With chocolate frosting?”

Naomi smiles. “I think it’s sweet. Goodness knows that boy needs some love.”

Will nods. He’d gotten the idea when Nico had casually mentioned that he’d never really celebrated his birthday. Not since his mom and sister had died. While his dad got him a card and gift every year, it wasn’t quite the same as an actual celebration. Will had thought about planning a party, but he wasn’t sure Nico would actually want that. Something more simple and intimate seemed more to Nico’s tastes. After all, one only got so many chances to celebrate their fifteenth birthday.

So Will was going to bake him a cake, complete with frosting and rainbow sprinkles.

“And maybe we could have a small party here?” Will adds. “Just something simple.”

Naomi nods. In the past, Will had simply gotten Nico a gift, assuming that he always celebrated somehow. But now that he realized that no one had truly celebrated Nico in the way that one should be celebrated, Will wanted to make sure Nico knew how amazing he was. And a small birthday party was the perfect way.  
-  
“Whoa, what’s Will doing in the kitchen?” Lee asks, rubbing his eyes. “Someone pinch me!”

Will huffs, really thinking about pinching his brother. “It’s Nico’s birthday soon, and I want to make him a cake.” He turns back to his mom who is poring through a few cookbooks.

“I can’t remember which was my favorite,” she mumbles. “Oh, I think this one.” She smiles at him. “Well, either way, we’ve got time.”

Will nods. He knows baking a cake isn’t that complicated, but he wants it to be perfect.

“Can I be a taste tester?” Lee asks, leaning against the counter. “I promise to give you encouraging and honest feedback.”

Will rolls his eyes. “Fine. Whatever. Just leave us in peace.”

He waits until Lee’s left the kitchen before looking at the list of ingredients. “It doesn’t look that bad,” he says.

Naomi hums. “It’s really not. Most of it is just knowing what you’re looking for. How long to beat the eggs, what consistency, how long to bake it.” Will nods. He can do this. Nico would have the best birthday cake ever. (And maybe even the best birthday, too.)

His mom lets him do most of the work, measuring and mixing. By the time the cake is in the oven, Will’s checking the clock anxiously.

“Why don’t we clean up a bit while we’re waiting,” Naomi says. “I promise I won’t let the cake burn.” Will nods, sighing as he looks at the flour-covered counters. He’s not sure how he managed to make such a mess. His mom made meals almost every day, and the kitchen was hardly this messy.

“It’s all part of the process,” she adds when Will starts cleaning. “I remember when I was first learning how to bake. Grandma used to say that it looked like a tornado had come through.”

Will smiles. Cleaning was no fun, but he loves hearing stories about his mom growing up. And the kitchen was beginning to smell like melting butter and sugar. He sneaks a peek through the little window of the oven, smiling when he saw that the cake had started rising.

“Ready to make the frosting?”

Will nods. The frosting was a lot easier, though he was pretty sure he would need to practice more in order to not make so much. He’d accidentally dumped in too much milk and had to make up for it by adding more butter and powdered sugar. But whatever the case, he had delicious chocolate frosting waiting for his perfectly baked cake.

He was having a hard time waiting for it to cool, and he was pretty sure his mom noticed how many times he’d dipped his finger into the frosting for a taste. Nico was going to be so happy and surprised. Will can’t wait until he sees Nico’s face.

When the cake is finally frosted and ready, Will takes a few moments to just appreciate the beauty of his hard work. He only has a few moments before he can hear Lee’s footsteps on the stairs.

“Is it ready? I’ve been smelling deliciousness for at least two hours.” Will rolls his eyes. He cuts everyone a slice, getting himself a glass of milk, too. Lee’s already halfway through his slice by the time Will sits down. If anything, he’s enthusiastic about his job as taste-tester.

“So?” Will asks.

“I could eat this whole cake right now,” Lee says. “But I won’t because Mama’s already shaking her head.” He winks at Will.

“So it’s good?”

“It’s amazing. Superb. Nico’s gonna love it.” Lee quickly finishes off his slice, clapping Will on the back. “Good job, little bro.” He tries to take another slice, but Naomi stops him.

“After dinner,” she says, and Lee pouts.

Will smiles. Now, he’s just got to make another cake for Nico’s party. And actually invite Nico to the party.  
-  
“Will!” Nico pouts. “Just tell me what’s going on.”

Will shakes his head. “Nope. That would ruin the surprise.”

“What if I don’t like surprises?”

Will pretends to look shocked. “This is a good surprise. I promise.”

“It’d better be,” Nico huffs. “I’m missing my favorite tv show.”

“How do you know I don’t want to just watch it at my house?” Will asks.

“You don’t like the tv show.”

Will shrugs. “But I like you.” He pauses, blushing. “And I know that it’s your birthday. So I’d be willing to make some sacrifices.”

Nico rolls his eyes, clearly not believing Will. Currently, he’s looking very unimpressed as they walk towards Will’s house. Will had spent all morning baking a cake, and every little bit closer they got to his house, he could feel his excitement build.

“What if I had epic plans that I had to cancel for whatever this is?” Nico asks, raising his eyebrows.

“Then I’d feel very honored,” Will says. HIs voice comes out a bit softer than he meant, and he can tell Nico notices. They’re both quiet as Will’s house comes into view. Will really hopes that Nico likes the surprise. He knows Nico isn’t one for big gestures, but this one feels important. Everyone deserves to feel recognized and celebrated at least once in their life.

“Promise it’s good?” Nico asks, looking nervous now. He takes Will’s hand.

“I promise. And if you don’t like it, we can go back to your house and watch tv, okay?”

Nico nods. “Okay.”

Will unlocks the front door. The smell of vanilla and sugar hits him as they walk in. Will glances at Nico, a smile on his face.

“Surprise!” Will says, dropping Nico’s hand to do an imitation of jazz hands. Everything looks just how he’d imagined: the cake in the center of the table, a few balloons and streamers, Nico looking surprised but happy.

“This is for me?” Nico asks.

“Happy 15th birthday!”

Nico blinks before wrapping Will in a hug. “This is amazing. Did you actually bake it?”

“I did,” Will says, grinning. “Well, Mama helped a lot. But as you can see, nothing caught on fire.”

Nico laughs, brushing at his eyes. “I can’t believe it. You know, just watching tv would’ve been okay,” he says softly.

Will shakes his head. “You deserve to be celebrated. Let me celebrate you.”

Nico nods. “Okay. Let’s eat cake.”

Will hurries around the kitchen, grabbing plates and utensils before remembering the candles. They weren’t anything super special, but what was a birthday cake without candles? He carefully lights them, singing as Nico rolls his eyes.

“Did you make a wish?” Will asks when Nico’s blown out the candles.

Nico hums. “You’re not supposed to tell, so my lips are sealed.”

The rest of Will’s family shows up now that the cake is being cut. Lee hands plates around, and Naomi takes a few pictures. Will’s eyes are on Nico, taking in his smile and his laugh and his obvious joy in the small party. It’s quiet as they eat the cake, everyone basking in sugar and happiness.

“Oh, presents next!” Lee says, jumping up.

Nico’s mouth falls open as he glances at Will. “I didn’t know he was going to do that,” Will says. “But I also have a present for you.” He jumps up before Nico can protest. When he returns, Lee’s handing Nico a small rectangular package.

“You’re over here so much that you’re practically family,” he says, shrugging. “So, happy birthday and all that, bro.”

Nico gives him a smile before tearing open the gift. “Mythomagic cards?” Lee nods. “I don’t actually have this extension yet. Thank you.”

Lee grins, clearly proud of himself.

“You didn’t have to get me a gift, too, you know,” Nico says as Will hands him another package. Will shrugs. “But I do like gifts.”

Will waits impatiently while Nico tears off the paper. He’d thought really hard about what to get Nico for his birthday. They’d been friends for so long that they’d given each other all sorts of gifts. But this birthday felt even more special for some reason, and Will wants his gift to match.

“You really outdid yourself this year,” Nico says softly. He’s staring at Will’s gift: a small collection of pictures that Will’s saved over the years of all their best memories together. Elementary field trips, sleepovers, when they’d lost a tooth on the same day, first school dance, them at an animal adoption event, Nico beating Will at video games, first day of high school.

“You don’t have to frame them or anything, but I thought you might like them,” Will says, feeling shy all of a sudden. Nico looks through the pictures again, his eyes a little wet as he smiles.

“I remember you hated going into the reptile building,” he laughs. It’s a picture of them posing with monkeys at the zoo. “You were scared the snakes were going to break out somehow.”

“You never know,” Will pouts. Nico nods, setting the pictures down.

“Thank you.” He steps forward to hug Will again. “Just so you know, I didn’t wish for anything. I already have everything I could ever want.”

Will rolls his eyes. “Birthdays make you sappy.”

“That’s your fault, dork,” Nico huffs, but he’s grinning. Will doesn’t know when his mom and brother left the room, but it’s just the two of them now. “This is probably my favorite birthday.”

“Yeah?” Will asks. Nico hums. “Well, it’s not quite over yet. Wanna watch that tv show?”

Nico laughs. “I’d love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little (lot) late to the birthday event, but it's always a good day to celebrate Nico :)
> 
> **also, thank you so much, everyone, for sticking with me even though the updating schedule is less of a schedule and more sporadic-- it means a lot!**


	5. just meant to be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico ditches prom and makes a friend.

Nico can’t remember who talked him into it, but he’s definitely regretting his decisions. Honestly, it must have been Percy because he seems to be having the most fun. (It probably helps that he has an amazing girlfriend.) Nico, on the other hand, is trying to see if he can phase through the wall, but no amount of trying is leading to promising results. Instead, he waits for yet another slow song to end so he can slip out without anyone noticing.

As the song changes, Nico makes a run for it. He’s not sure if it’s the sudden cardio or the bass that’s causing his heart to beat so rapidly, but it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that he’s now got time. He doubts anyone will notice he’s gone until around midnight which leaves about an hour for him to do whatever he wants.

But first, he needs some food.

For all of the hype about fancy restaurants, Nico kind of thinks that they’re a ripoff. If he’s going to pay over fifteen dollars for a meal, he’d like it to last him to the next meal with minimal effort. As it is, his stomach’s been growling for the past hour. He quickly drives to the closest fast food place.

“Long night?” the cashier asks. He’s leaning on the counter.

“Can I just have the large chicken nugget meal?” Nico asks. He doesn’t have time for small talk. He’d left the prom to get away from people.

“Sure thing. Would you like anything else?” Nico shakes his head, pushing a twenty dollar bill across the counter. The cashier rings up his order.

“I’m Will if you need anything else,” he says. “Your food will be out shortly.” Then he promptly disappears to get Nico’s order ready. Nico stands in the lobby area, sipping on his drink while he waits. The store was empty aside from the two of them, and soft instrumental music was playing over the speakers. All in all, it’s not the worst way Nico’s spent a Saturday night, but it might be going on his list.

“Order up!” Will calls, and Nico resists the urge to roll his eyes. He takes his try of food and goes to sit by one of the windows. Taking out his phone, he absently checks for any messages before starting on his food. The chicken nuggets are definitely better than whatever chicken dish he’d paid for earlier. Honestly, he shouldn’t have had to pay for his food since he never wanted to be there in the first place.

“Ice cream?”

Nico startles, looking up. “What?”

“Want an ice cream?” Will’s standing beside his table, holding out a vanilla ice cream cone. “It’s on the house.”

“What for?” Nico asks, but he’s already reaching out.

“You look like you could use some cheering up. And ice cream usually helps.” Nico can’t argue with that logic. He accepts the cone. He expects Will to go back to his job, but Will just stands there.

“Would you like to sit down?” Nico asks, not sure if he wants Will to sit or not.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Will says. He takes a seat, smiling at Nico. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“Nico. And you’re Will?”

Will nods. “Yup. So, what brings a guy like you to this lovely establishment?”

Nico roll his eyes. “Prom sucks.”

“Bad date?”

Nico shakes his head. “No, just sucks in general. Probably more since I didn’t have a date.”

Will seems to understand as he nods. He steals one of Nico’s fries, and for some reason, Nico doesn’t really care. It’s kind of nice to be sitting here with a person without loud music and the expectations of sex, drugs, and dancing. And Will’s definitely not bad to look at. The curly hair and freckles were cute, and Nico’s pretty sure that if Will looked cute in his fast food costume, he’d look even cuter out of it. (Like in a T-shirt and jeans, of course.)

“I’ve never been to prom,” Will says after a few moments. “My older brother went. Told me it was a scam. Not that what I’m doing right now is much better.”

“True. Capitalism could be a scam.” Will grins at this, and Nico feels himself flush. He takes a long, slow sip of his soda.

“So, Nico,” Will says, leaning on the table. “If you could be doing anything right now, what would it be?”

“Probably sleeping,” Nico says. “Or reading.” He knows it sounds boring, but he’s not really worried about appearing lame right now. After all, he’s just ditched prom to sit in a fast food restaurant and chat with the staff. Not that there’s anything wrong with fast food places. He’s pretty open for whatever right now.

“So you like reading,” Will says, nodding. “Do you like poetry?”

Nico shrugs. “Yeah. Depends, honestly.”

Will hums. “Do you write any?”

“Not really. Well, nothing good.” He finishes off the last of his chicken nuggets. Will’s been absently eating his fries.

“Are you doing anything after this?” Will asks, gesturing to Nico’s tray of food.

“Probably heading home. You know, to do that reading and sleeping I was talking about.” It’s occurring to him that Will might be trying to build a connection between the two. Nico’s not sure sure how he feels about this, other than it’s definitely not a bad feeling. “You?”

“I’m closing tonight. Then I might be hanging out with this really cool person later?” He’s looking directly at Nico now.

“Cool. Hope you and this person have a nice night,” Nico says. “Watch out for after-parties.”

Will pouts. “I’m kind of talking about you?”

“Me?” Nico asks. “We just met.”

Will shrugs. “I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but that’s how friendships work. We meet people, hang out, talk. Get to know each other.” He pauses. “So, Nico, do you want to be friends?”

Nico blinks. On one hand, he’s kind of curious about what Will might be wanting to do. On the other, he’d never met Will before. And he definitely wasn’t looking to get kidnapped tonight. He glances at his phone. It was now officially midnight, and his friends were probably basking in the glow of the prom royalty. And whatever else happened at prom.

“Promise you’re not creepy,” Nico says.

Will holds his hand up in the Boy Scout salute. “I promise that I am not creepy.”

Nico really hopes he’s not going to regret this. He sends a quick text to his friend Jason before nodding.

“What did you want to do?”  
-  
Will lets Nico drive after he’s closed up the store and change into regular clothes. (Nico was right. Will did look amazing in jeans.) He’s attempting to give directions, and Nico’s starting to wonder if he should have just gone home. Finally, Will tells him to park, so Nico does.

“It’s totally cool if you don’t like this place,” Will says, “but I think you will.”

Nico follows Will into what looks like a closed coffee shop. He’s about to tell Will that maybe he just wants to go to bed when Will opens the door and walks in. The place is definitely closed with the lights off and the chairs on the tables, but Will seems undeterred.

“Back this way.”

Nico unconsciously takes Will’s hand as he leads them through to the back of the store. Then they’re standing in a small room. There are tables and chairs and a stage.

“Is this slam poetry?” Nico whispers after a moment, his eyes on the girl on the stage. Will’s grin is illuminated by the Christmas lights strung around the room.

“Yeah. We can sit over there.” He leads them to a small table, pulling out Nico’s chair. Nico sits, glancing around the room. There are maybe twenty people here, all sorts of types. The girl on the stage does a small bow before moving back to her seat.

“Is it just anyone?” Nico asks. Will nods.

“Yup. Well, anyone who knows about this place.” They’re somehow holding hands again as the next person gets on stage. They read off a piece of paper in their hands, but their words aren’t any less moving. Nico feels himself relaxing. Will’s hand is warm, and the atmosphere is nice. Everyone seems encouraging and supportive, and a lot of the performers are really talented.

“Do you ever perform?” Nico asks between performers.

Will shrugs. “Not really. Maybe twice before, but I really just like listening.” He pauses. “You can go up if you want.”

Nico shakes his head. He doesn’t have anything prepared. And even if he did, he’s not sure any of his poetry is this good. “Maybe another time,” he says.

Will’s smile widens. “So you like it?”

He nods. “How’d you find this place?”

Will shrugs. “I have connections.” He glance around the room before looking back at Nico. “My sister’s a songwriter, so she knows a few places around like this. And I tag along.”

“Is she here tonight?” Nico asks.

Will shakes his head. “She does gigs on Saturday nights at this bar downtown. Her set is already over or else I might have taken you there. They let me in when she performs.”

“Not over twenty-one?”

“Nope. Just turned eighteen. You?”

Nico nods. “Same. Voting age.”

Conversation pauses as they listen to a few more performers. Then the lights brighten, and everyone starts milling around. It looks like a meet-and-greet, though everyone seems to know each other. They’re all smiling and hugging and sharing notes on each other’s work. It’s nice, and Nico thinks that if he ever wanted to share his writing with anyone, he’d want it to be like this.

“Can I show you something now?” Nico asks quietly as they head back to the car. He’s not quite ready for this night to end, and though he’s definitely overdressed, he wants to show Will some place special to him, too.

“Promise you’re not going to kidnap me,” Will says, squeezing Nico’s hand.

“Promise. I’m dressed way too nice for anything illegal.”

Will laughs, and Nico smiles.  
-  
He drives them to a small lake near his house. He and his sister used to come out here all the time and swim and have picnics. Now that she was in college, those days were fewer but still as special. Nico’s not sure why he feels okay with sharing this place with Will. Maybe it was because Will seemed like one of those special people who sometimes walk into your life. The kind where the connection feels almost instant.

“Sure you’re not going to stuff my body into a bag?” Will asks as they get out of the car.

“Not tonight,” Nico hums. “Come on.”

The lake is pretty tonight with the almost full moon reflecting off the water. The grass is tall with no one tending to it, and the crickets and cicadas are just warming up for their nightly concert. Nico’s left his jacket in the car, but he doesn’t want to stop by his house to change clothes. If he has to pay for dry cleaning, it’ll be worth it, he thinks.

“Is this where you tell me you’re really a merman? Or a siren?” Will asks.

Nico gently shoves him. “Those aren’t first date questions, you know,” he says before he can think about it.

“Well, this isn’t really a first date kind of night,” Will says, but his voice is soft.

Nico leads them around the lake with no particular destination. He knows this lake better than the back of his hand. They make it to the water’s edge, and Nico watches the water lap gently onto the shore. The lake wasn’t really big enough for any boats or docks, but it had been big enough to hold Nico’s imagination.

Will lays out his jacket so they can sit. They have to sit close, but Nico doesn’t mind too much. Will’s got his arm wrapped gently around Nico’s waist, and Nico tries not to overthink how well he fits inside the curve of Will’s shoulder.

“You can almost see the stars here,” Will breathes. “If I were smarter, I’d tell you what we were looking at.”

Nico laughs quietly. “I have no idea either. But that’s the moon.”

“I knew you were smart,” Will says, and Nico knows he’s smiling.

“Not smart enough to stay away from prom,” he counters.

“Maybe we wouldn’t have met then,” Will says.

“I think we would have.” Nico can’t explain why, but he just has a feeling. He and Will were going to meet, some way, somehow. “But this is nice.”

Will hums. “A bit more than nice.”

Nico rolls his eyes. He hears Will yawn, shifting his head from where it’d fallen against Will’s shoulder.

“I think it’s bedtime.”

Will pouts. “But I like hanging out with you.”

Nico smiles. “I like hanging out with you, too.” He pulls out his phone, ignoring the messages that have suddenly popped up. “Here, put your number in.”

Will does, and Nico hears Will’s phone ding with the new text message. After a few more minutes, they head back to the car. Will’s definitely yawning now, eyes drooping. 

“So, maybe we can hang out tomorrow?” Will asks as they get into the car. “Or maybe later today?”

Nico laughs, making sure they’re both buckled in. “Sure, but let’s get home first.”

It’s quiet as they drive towards Will’s house. Nico’s pretty sure Will’s asleep as they pull into his driveway.

“Hey, Nico?” Will mumbles, smiling sleepily at Nico.

“Yeah?”

“Good morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone's doing okay with everything that life is throwing at us currently-- please stay safe and as healthy as you can! Hopefully, things will start looking up soon :)


	6. happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> these kids deserve happiness

“Why is it always kids who have to deal with everything?” Nico asks softly. He’s buried under the blankets, his head on Will’s shoulder. They’re taking time to rest and relax in the Hades cabin. This morning, Nico had taught a sword-fighting class, and Will had led a basic aid training course. Then they’d had a counselor meeting to discuss new border security before heading to lunch where three new campers were sent on a quest. Just a typical day at Camp Half-Blood.

“What do you mean?” Will asks. He’d probably been about to fall asleep. Nico wishes he could fall asleep, but his brain won’t shut down. His all-too-familiar anxiety was keeping him awake.

“Like in the fairy tales,” Nico says. “It’s always kids getting hurt or lost or forgotten, and the adults never do anything about it.”

“Like us?” Will asks, shifting to face Nico. Nico nods. Of course, Will got it. He was sixteen and already had more experience than a lot of certified doctors.

“I don’t really remember my childhood,” Nico mumbles. He remembers it in snapshots: a montage of his home in Italy, Bianca’s smile, his mother’s laugh, Mythomagic. There’s the smell of cooking and the feeling that everything was still bright and new. “And some of these kids never even get a childhood.”

Will hums, wrapping his arms around Nico as Nico snuggles close. “I got lucky,” he says. Nico thinks it sucks that a kid like Will is lucky. Sure, Will had great memories of his mom and childhood, but he also had to grow up as fast as he could so that he could take care of others. Thirteen-year-olds shouldn’t be battlefield medics. Like Nico, Will struggled with nightmares and panic attacks on top of his OCD.

He could never leave the infirmary without triple-checking everything was in place. He couldn’t go to sleep without making sure doors and windows were secure, a nightlight plugged in, making sure his list of things to do was checked off. He avoided any food too red or soft because it reminded him of wounds and blood. Just the thought made him sick. And while none of these behaviors were necessarily unreasonable, they weren’t what a sixteen-year-old boy should have to worry about.

“Why us?” Nico asks again.

Will sighs. “Too many reasons.” Nico could name a few. He wasn’t exactly angry right now. Instead, he just felt tired. Tired that he was only fifteen, and he’d already been on too many quests, killed too many people, held too many funerals, had to make too many hard choices. He was tired.

“Do you think it’s like natural selection? Like only the strong and brave can live long and have a happy life?”  
“I feel like you shouldn’t have to prove yourself to live a happy life,” Will says. He brushes back Nico’s hair, kissing his forehead. “You deserve a happy life, Nico. No matter what the gods throw at you.”

Nico shushes him. “Don’t give them any ideas.”

Will frowns, and Nico instantly reaches out to smooth out the wrinkle. “Nico, if I could, I’d give you the happiest life ever.” Nico smiles. He knows Will would. Will would sacrifice himself over and over if he could make everyone else happy.

“You deserve a happy life, too, sunshine,” Nico hums.

Will yawns. “And a nap.”

Nico smiles. “I can take hints. Good night, Will.”  
-  
“He’s not here,” Kayla says when Nico enters the infirmary. It was a Tuesday, and they always had their walks on Tuesdays around the lake. “I think he said something to Cecil about getting supplies?”

Nico frowns. Supply runs were Friday jobs, and nothing major had happened this week. They hadn’t had any attacks or capture the flag games or new campers. What supplies could Will need? He’d checked off everything perfectly last night before they’d gone to the bonfire.

“Do you know where he could be?” Nico asks.

Kayla shrugs. “I’d try the Big House.”

Nico nods. That made sense. He tries to keep himself from panicking. It wasn’t like Will to deviate from his routine much. He was usually so meticulous with his planning and letting people know where he was. Unless he wanted to disappear for a little bit? Nico thinks over the past week. Will hadn’t really been acting off. He’d gotten three cookies at lunch the other day as a treat to himself for staying on task. He’d slept soundly the past week.

“What’s up, Nico?” Grover asks.

“Looking for Will,” he says. “Have you seen him?”

Grover smiles. “Yeah, he’s by the lake. I was just heading over there to give him this.” He holds out a picnic basket.

“Oh, I can give it to him,” Nico says. He’s tempted to look in the basket, but he doesn’t want to intrude. If Will wanted him to know, he’d have told him.

“Sure. See you around.”

Nico hurries to the lake, not sure what to expect. Maybe Will had a bad day at the infirmary and left early? But what was in the basket?

“Will?” Nico calls, careful not to sneak up on Will. He’s sitting by the lake, a blanket spread beneath him.

“Hey, was wondering when you’d get here,” Will says, smiling. He pats the blanket beside him. “Mind if we skip our walk today? I kind of have something planned.”

“Um, sure.” Nico sits, handing Will the basket. He watches as Will carefully lays stuff out, not sure what to make of everything. There’s food and colorful bottles and other knick-knacks that Nico’s seen in some of the cabins. “So, what’s all of this?”

“You got me thinking, right?” he says. “We don’t really get a lot of time to just be kids. So I was thinking that we could have a day to just act our age and be silly and whatever.”

Nico smiles. “I assume that we’re not eating all of that food, yeah?”

Will laughs. “Definitely not. Too many sweets.” He pauses. “Percy should be bringing them any time now. C’mon, I’ll show you what I’ve got.” Nico watches Will set everything up. He’s not quite sure what’s going on, but Will’s absolute delight at everything makes him excited.

By the time Will’s got everything set up, Nico can hear the kids coming. Percy and a couple of other counselors are leading a group of kids towards the lake. Nico recognizes some of them from his classes, but he’s never really gotten a chance to get to know them.

“We have stations,” Will says when they get everyone quieted down. “Bubbles and food and games. And we’re going to rotate so everyone gets a chance to play, okay?”

The kids all nod, looking way too serious for a bunch of elementary-aged children. But Will’s excitement and smiles are contagious, and soon everyone is laughing and playing. No one polices manners or worries too much. These kids are battle-hardened. They can handle some bubbles and hula hoops.

“What do you want to do?” Will asks.

“What’s that over there?” Nico asks, pointing to a group of kids running around. “Like tag?”

Will nods. “Yeah, I was looking up games that Italian kids play, and I found this fun one called piovra.” Nico smiles.

“Octopus?”

“Yeah, it’s like tag but with octopuses. Or octopi. Whatever. Wanna play?”

Nico feels a little silly running around, but there’s a certain freedom in just being able to run and not care if he’s gotten caught. He’s spent so much of his life running and hiding from things. It’s nice to just pretend that you’re a silly octopus.

Then Will teaches him how to blow bubbles and wiggle his hips with a hula hoop. There are bean bag tosses and horseshoes.

“You’re absolutely amazing, you know that?” Nico asks. “How long did it take you to plan this?”

“A couple of days,” Will says. “And I had help.” Nico looks around. It looks like one of those community picnics that he’s come across a few times in his travels, places where everyone got together just to have fun and relax.

“I think we all really needed this, man,” Percy says. His face is flushed, but he’s grinning. “These kids have way too much energy. We should have days like this more often. I haven’t blown bubbles since I was seven.”

Nico can definitely tell which bubbles are Percy’s by their size and color, and he smiles as the kids run around trying to pop them.

“Gods, did we have this much energy as kids?” Grover asks, plopping down on the blanket. He grabs a handful of trail mix and munches on it. “I just lost a hula hoop competition with five ten-year-olds.” He shoves another handful into his mouth. Percy pats his head.

“You’ll get it, man. It’s all in the hips.”

“Think you could do better?”

Percy grins. “You’re on!”

Nico rolls his eyes as they race towards the hula hoops.

“Maybe we could do this once a month or something,” he says. “I know the kids are really enjoying this.”

“And the not-kids, too,” Will says, nodding towards Percy and Grover.

Nico hums. He knows every day can’t be like this and that days like this won’t erase any of their problems. But maybe it’ll help remind them that the world isn’t such a terrible place. He reaches up to kiss Will on the cheek.

“Thank you for today.”

“We deserve happiness, Nico.”

“We do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, I hope everyone is doing okay and staying safe :) the world feels pretty dark right now, but there is still hope, please believe that


	7. friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tangent from my "falling into place" series. What if Nico had stopped the bullying? (Maybe we wouldn't have to endure more chapters of Theo being a jerk haha)
> 
> love and rebuilding of a friendship
> 
> slight tw for referenced/mild bullying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a tangent off of a longer work-- found here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15003650/chapters/34775153
> 
> I also have a small 2 chapter bit that the longer work was based on-- found here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14658081/chapters/34708910
> 
> this is another tangent for the same universe of "what if" Nico never dated Theo in the first place-- found here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14999897/chapters/35848956
> 
> **trigger warnings are displayed in the tags and at the beginning of each chapter that contains them**
> 
> (if anyone knows how to link stuff nicely, I'd love to know; in the meantime, sorry about the messy URLs)

Nico’s not sure why he agreed to this. They really are too old for sleepovers, but at least he’d convinced Will to have it in the house and not out in the old treehouse. Theo was out of town this weekend, visiting some family or a state park or something. Nico thinks he should ask, but that would require derailing their current conversation.

“Maybe we should just go to bed,” Will says. They’re sitting on the couch, watching a movie. Well, Will’s watching the movie. Nico’s been texting Theo. He knows it’s a little rude, but he’s silenced his phone at least. And the kitchen light is on behind them, so it’s not like he’s really disrupting anything.

“That’s fine,” Nico says. This sleepover wasn’t like their other ones, full of laughter and fun. Those nights, Naomi had to come downstairs or outside and tell them to go to sleep. And then they’d stay up until they couldn’t stay awake anymore. Now, it felt like there was some formula they were following: have dinner with Will’s family, watch a movie, go to bed. Anything to keep the awkward silences at bay.

Nico lets Will get ready first, though they’d never had a problem changing in front of each other. Then there’s the bed situation. Normally, it wouldn’t be weird to share a bed. Normally, they wouldn’t even think about it. But now, Will hesitates before crawling into his bed. Nico lays out his sleeping bag on the floor.

“You can have my brother’s bed,” Will says after a few moments.

Nico shrugs, though Will can’t see him. “I’m fine here.” He doubts Lee or Austin would want him in their bed. He knows the looks he gets from Austin at school. Besides, to sleep in their bed would be to re-establish their friendship, and while it hurts that their friendship is falling apart, maybe it’s a good thing. After all, Nico doesn’t need toxic people in his life.

He knows when Will falls asleep, his breathing evening out, the way he stops turning in his sleep. It’s funny how even after all of this, he still knows exactly when Will’s drifted off to sleep. Nico usually has no trouble falling asleep at Will’s house, the Solace’s like a second home. But now he finds himself laying there, staring at the ceiling. Theo’s stopped texting him, so now he doesn’t even have that to occupy his thoughts.

After an hour of this, he decides to get a drink of water. He tip-toes downstairs, careful not to wake anyone. He’s never felt like such a stranger in this house before, but he supposes that’s what happens when you stop being friends with someone. After all, this sleepover is a last-ditch effort to make amends, and it’s not working.

“Nico, sweetheart?” Nico startles, turning to see Naomi sitting on the couch with a cup of tea. “Is everything alright?”

Nico nods. “Yeah, just getting some water.”

Naomi smiles. “Why don’t you join me for a little bit?”

It’s exactly the opposite of what Nico wants to do, but he can’t think of a good reason not to. Besides, just because Will’s a jerk doesn’t mean Nico has to be a jerk to his mom. And Naomi’s been nothing but nice to him all these years. He fixes himself a glass of water, sitting in the chair opposite her.

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever,” she says softly. “You doing okay?”

Nico nods. “Yeah, just busy with school and all.”Naomi hums. “Is Will sleeping?” Nico nods again. “He’s been having trouble sleeping lately,” she continues. “I think this year has been tough on him.”

Nico isn’t sure what to say to that. “Thinking about college is a lot,” he says after a few moments. “And all of the schoolwork.”

There’s something about Naomi’s face that doesn’t look convinced. Or maybe it’s that she looks sad. “Has he said anything to you? I know losing his grandmother hit him pretty hard. And now the bullying.”

Nico tries to school his features, but he’s tired. Bullying? Will never mentioned bullying. Sure, Nico had seen some kids pushing Will in the hallways or calling out to him, but that wasn’t really enough to hurt, was it? Why did Will even care? Wasn’t that what all of those anti-bullying programs were about? Not letting it get to you? Finding solace in yourself?

“He hasn’t said anything,” Nico says, though he’s now reframing the last few conversations he’s had with Will in his mind, the last few weeks.

“I know he’s strong,” Naomi says, “but it always helps to have friends that support you.” She sips at her tea, giving Nico a soft smile. “I’m glad he has friends like you.”

Nico doesn’t say that he was Will’s only friend or that they’d just kind of broken up. He’s not sure what to say. Was Will getting bullied? Why hadn’t he said anything? Was that why he was getting so upset about Theo? Because he was angry at himself? Or because Nico wasn’t listening to him? Well, maybe Will should have been more explicit when he called for help.

“How’s that boyfriend of yours?” She asks the question kindly, but Nico feels like there’s more behind it.

“He’s good. Visiting family this weekend.”

Naomi smiles. “I remember young love. I met Will’s father in high school, you know. Crazy to think about it now. We met at a school fundraiser. Of course, I was with another guy then. My friends all hated him, thought he was the scum of the earth. And then I met Lester, and it was like something else.” She laughs. “You know him, though. He is something else. The best kind.”

Nico nods. He’d always wondered what brought Naomi and Lester together. They seemed like opposites in so many ways, but maybe that was a good thing. They clearly loved each other and their family.

“I’m getting tired now,” Nico says. He sets his glass by the sink, heading back upstairs. He’s not sure why he feels like he’s suddenly missed a step, the air not quite as solid as the firm foundation beneath him. It’s not that he doesn’t believe Naomi, but why wouldn’t Will just tell him? And wouldn’t Theo have said something? He would know if Will were acting out because he was hurt rather than just simply jealous or toxic, right?

Nico doesn’t get much sleep that night.  
-  
The whole thing is still bothering him over the break. The morning after the sleepover, they’d said a stilted goodbye to each other, barely bothering to make further plans. Will had just given Nico a small wave, standing beside his mom still in his pjs. Naomi had hugged Nico, saying it was nice to see him again and that he was welcome anytime. She’d given him a smile that made him think of their conversation, and he’d hurried to his car.

“What’s got you all grumpy today?” Bianca asks. She tosses a piece of popcorn at him, and Nico frowns.

“I’m not grumpy.”

“Are you mad? Constipated? Because that face doesn’t make itself. And it’s definitely not a good one.” She throws another piece at him. “Nico, I’m home for break. Let’s do something fun. C’mon, you’ve just been on the couch and frowning at your phone all day. Like a grumpy potato.”

Nico was waiting for Theo to text him back. He’d asked Theo if he’d noticed any bullying happening. Theo had yet to respond, and Nico just wants this whole thing to resolve itself. He sends another text before throwing his phone down.

“Fine. What do you want to do?”

“Well,” Bianca says. “There’s that Christmas thing downtown. The one with the little booths? I think it’d be fun to check it out.”

Nico sighs as he grabs his coat. He really can’t say no to Bianca. And it’s not fair to take out his grumpiness over the Will situation on her.

“So, what’s got you all grumpy?” she asks once they’re in the car.

“Nothing,” he says. She raises her eyebrows at him. “Well, Will, I guess. His mom said he’s been bullied or something, but he hasn’t said anything. Which is strange, right? And then Theo says he hasn’t noticed anything. So, I don’t know.”

He isn’t sure why he says the thing about Theo. He knows Bianca doesn’t like him.

“So you’re trusting Theo over your best friend Will?”

“It’s not like that, Bia. Will hasn’t even said anything.”

“Well, if I were being bullied, I might not tell someone. Tattle-telling and all that. Snitch behavior.”

“But then he can’t blame me for not helping him or being there or whatever he wants, right?”

Bianca shrugs. “I mean, knowing Will, he’s probably scared. And it’s not like you’ve really been there for him lately, so I don’t blame him for not involving you. He probably wants to tell you. Or maybe he has been.”

Nico frowns. “You don’t think I care?”

“It’s not like you’ve been acting like it lately.” She parks the car, turning to look at him. “I mean, this is the first time I’ve heard you willingly talk about Will in months. And it’s to question whether or not he’s being bullied. Personally, if my friend even hinted at being bullied, I’d be all over the situation. It’d have been taken care of by now.”

Nico pouts. “Well, I’m sorry I’m such a horrible human.”

Bianca pats his hand. “Horrible humans can change, you know.”

She gets out of the car, and Nico trails beside her. “You never liked Theo.”

“Not much to like.”

“So you’re pitting him against Will.”

“That’s in your head. What do you think about this mug?”

She holds up a reindeer mug. Nico shrugs.

“I don’t have to help him. We’re not friends anymore.”

Bianca lets out a big sigh. “Clearly not. And I’m not picking sides. I’m simply saying that maybe you’re listening to the wrong people. If Will says he’s being bullied, why not believe him? Why do you have to fact-check everything through your boyfriend? Make up your own mind. Will’s your friend. Not Theo’s.”

Nico shrugs. He doesn’t want to let her know that she’s got a point. When did he become insecure himself? Why did he always rely on Theo? Wasn’t that what boyfriends did, though? Besides, Theo was older than him. (Though Bianca was older than both of them.) And Will was acting jealous, wasn’t he?

“I guess I could ask him,” Nico says slowly.

“You definitely should.” She nods like the conversation is over, moving over to a booth to buy some apple cider. “Want some?”

Nico knows it’s an offering, so he nods. The cup feels good in his cold hands, and Bianca gives him a smile. He wishes he felt lighter now, but he supposes saying he’s going to do something isn’t the same as actually doing it. And since he’s burned the bridge, it’ll be his job to build it back up, right?  
-  
Nico can feel his stomach twisting as he walks into the school building. He’s been thinking about Will all break, between celebrating Christmas and hanging out with Theo. He’s tried bringing up the bullying thing with Theo, but his boyfriend always brushed it off.

“Will’s just got to learn,” Theo had said. “If you can’t survive high school, you can’t survive the world. Trust me. The real world’s out there, but first, you’ve got to pass training.”

“What if he doesn’t learn?” Nico had asked.

Theo had just kissed him. “Baby, let’s not talk about him. This is part of his mind game. To get you to feel guilty about how things went down. Don’t worry about him.”

And Nico had tried his best not to. But he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Will never lied. He never hurt people. So why was he suddenly hurting Nico?

He’d only seen Will once more after the sleepover when Will had brought over Nico’s Christmas present. Bianca had chewed him out pretty good after that.

He’s brought back to the present by someone slamming their locker shut. Everyone’s either clapping friends on the back or grumbling about being back at school. Nico scans the halls, still not sure what he’s going to do. He’d promised Bianca that he would fix this, but after talking to Theo, he’s not sure that this is something to be fixed. Maybe it’s something that needs to run its course.

“Hey, baby,” Theo says, wrapping his arms around Nico’s waist.

“Long time no see,” Nico mumbles. Theo doesn’t seem to notice, kissing his cheek. “Catch you at lunch yeah?”

Nico nods. He’s not sure where Theo’s run off to, but he’s kind of relieved that he doesn’t have to deal with him this morning. He still hasn’t made up his mind as he heads to class. He won’t see Theo until two hours from now, so at least he’ll have time to think.

After dragging himself through first period, Nico loiters in the hallway. There’s no way he’ll be able to focus in class. He’d seen Will earlier, and neither of them had made eye contact. Instead, they’d moved along like they didn’t even know each other. Just another face.

Nico feels something turn uncomfortably in his stomach. He wonders if he should just skip the rest of the day and call in sick. His parents won’t know until they get home, and Bia’s out with friends. Glancing at the clock, Nico sees that he has about five minutes until the bell rings. He turns around.

Taking his time, Nico weaves his way towards the back of the school where he’s parked. He’s just past the cafeteria when he hears someone say his name. He turns around, but no one in the hallway is someone he knows. He glances down the hallway to his left, his stomach flipping again when he sees Will and a couple of Theo’s old friends.

“Why don’t you tell the whole hallway that you support Nico and Theo’s relationship,” one of them says. Nico can’t remember if it’s Bryce or Peter. Nico doesn’t catch the next part as they close in around Will, shoving at him. No one else seems to be paying attention to what’s happening or they’re intentionally averting their eyes. Nico understands the feeling. If it weren’t Will, he might as well be just another bystander.

Nico feels frozen. He doubts Will’s seen him, but that isn’t the part that’ll haunt Nico forever.

“Back into the closet, I guess,” he hears, and then he hears a door slam. The guys all laugh, knocking fists and heading off to class like they were just exchanging homework problems. They don’t notice Nico standing there, and Nico realizes that they aren’t really Theo’s friends either. Maybe they just stuck around him because they wanted to be cool. Either way, Nico can’t remember the last time Theo hung out with them.

It’s not until the bell rings that Nico finally makes himself move. He feels sick as he nears the closet door, hearing a faint thumping from the inside. He takes a breath to steady himself as he opens the door.

“Nico?” Will asks. His voice cracks and Nico can’t tell if Will’s relieved or embarrassed or something else. (He used to be able to read his expressions so well.)

“Um, hi.”

Will sniffles, glancing at his phone. “I was gonna text you maybe,” he says.

Nico lets the silence stretch on for a few seconds before sitting on the floor. “I, um, saw them shove you in here,” he says. “I guess they’ve been bullying you for some time now?”

Will shrugs. “I guess,” he says. He picks a piece of lint off of his pants, not quite looking at Nico. “Doesn’t matter, though.”

Nico blinks. “Why not?”

Will shrugs again. “No one cares, really.”

“I care,” Nico says. “I mean, I haven’t been great at showing it. But I do care. I’m sorry that I’ve been such a jerk lately.”

Will laughs, but it sounds more like a hiccup. “Yeah, you have.” He glances at Nico. “Why aren’t you in class?”

“Thinking of skipping. I don’t know. Just didn’t feel like school today.”

Will snorts. “I never feel like going to school anymore.”

Nico sighs. He knows a simple apology won’t fix this. “Has this happened before? The bullying?”

Will’s quiet for a few moments. “Yeah, since you started dating Theo, I guess.” Will scratches at his hand. “I know you two are dating and everything, but I really don’t like him. And I don’t want to see you get hurt. I really do think he’s just using you, Nico. But it’s okay if you don’t believe me. I am a little jealous of him.”

“Why?” Nico’s still trying to wrap his head around everything that’s just happened. Is Theo behind the bullying? Or was he just turning a blind eye on it? And if he was even a little bit involved, what did that mean? Was everything he’d said a lie?

“I miss you,” Will says. “And I guess I am a little childish, but growing up is scary. And more so when you don’t have your best friend there to help you.”

“I’m sorry.” Nico scoots closer. Will just looks so sad there, tears lining his eyelids. “I want to make it up to you. I promise.”

Will sniffles. “It’s okay if you like Theo more than me. I’ll get over it.”

“What if I don’t?” Will shrugs. Nico moves close enough that their knees are touching. Will flinches. “How about a hug?”

It feels silly, this small gesture, in light of everything that’s happened and been happening. But it’s a step in the right direction. Will leans his head on Nico’s shoulder, shaking a little as he cries. The hug is awkward, but it’s nice. Will fits perfectly in Nico’s arms.

“I’m getting snot all over your shoulder,” Will sighs.“I have tissues at home,” Nico says. Will raises his eyebrows, wiping his nose. “C’mon. Neither of us needs school right now. Let’s go watch a movie or something.”

There’s more to be done. A lot more, but this is a start. They’ll go home and watch a movie, and Nico will apologize a hundred more times before he calls the school and reports the bullying. He’ll break up with Theo. He’ll apologize to Bianca. And every day, he’ll work on building his and Will’s friendship back up. Because Will deserves an amazing friend. And Nico just hopes he can be that friend again.

Things have fallen apart, but maybe someday soon, they’ll fall back in place.


	8. diapers and cute guys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico meets a cute guy in the grocery store with a baby that's not his.

Nico knows he should probably get his own life, but he had to admit that this one certainly had its perks. He had a place to live basically rent-free, roommates that weren’t too annoying, and the freedom to do what he liked. Unless everyone else in the apartment was doing what they liked.

“Nico?” Percy calls. “Could you watch Stella for the afternoon?”

Nico looks up from where he’s currently lounging on the couch. It wasn’t that he had plans, but his lack of plans hadn’t included an eight-month-old baby. Of course, he should have known. Many good things come at a price. And the price of his rent-free and furnished apartment was that he sometimes had to babysit. Well, actually, he babysat a lot.

“Fine. Where is she?”

“She’s taking a nap,” Percy says, his voice lowering to a whisper. He was still getting used to having a baby around. “She should wake in maybe an hour. Annabeth’s at her conference, and I just got called in. Apparently, Gary got sick or something.” Percy makes a face. Nico’s heard plenty of stories about Gary and his amazing ability to get sick on event days.

“Give Gary my condolences,” Nico calls.

“I’d like to give him a wake-up call,” Percy mumbles. “Who even applies for a job that they’re not even going to do? Who does he think he is?”

Nico rolls his eyes. “Just think of the kids,” he says.

“I’m trying,” Percy says. “He just makes it so hard. And I’m leaving Stella. My own kid. After I promised Annabeth I’d read to her later. And feed her and be a dad.”

“You’ll be back for dinner, right?” Nico asks, sitting up now.

“Who knows? Depends on if anybody else calls out.” Percy lets out a loud sigh. “I’ll try to let you know. If you don’t hear anything, I’m either swamped or I’ve killed Gary. If it’s the latter, please bail me out.”

“Not sure that’s how murder works, Percy.”

“Well, I guess it’d be worth it.”

“Go. Have fun. Don’t kill people,” Nico says, waving. “I’ve got Stella.”

Percy smiles at this, relaxing. “Thank you so much, Nico. We owe you!” Then he’s gone.

Nico settles back into the couch, sighing. Well, there go his nonexistent plans. Not that he doesn’t love Stella. She’s an angel. She definitely got all of the good parts of her parents. But Nico’s just gotten this huge project that’s got an actual deadline, and he isn’t sure how well his focus will be if he’s also watching a baby.

He manages to get a little work done before she wakes, and then Nico’s cursing Percy. Gary won’t be his only problem if Percy’s really forgotten to buy diapers. Gods, Annabeth’s been gone for three days at her conference, and she wasn’t going to be back for another two. It isn’t that Percy and Annabeth are bad parents, but Nico does wonder what they would do without him. Annabeth wanted to stay home with Stella longer, but her big project had finally taken off.

Though Nico’s perfectly content to stay at their place as long as they’ll have him. If he moved out, he’d probably have to get a roommate and budget, and he’s certainly not doing that.

“Hey, princess,” Nico hums, finding one clean diaper amongst the mess. He’ll clean it up later, knowing Percy won’t mind. Right now, the main focus is on getting more diapers.

Luckily, Nico’s got a baby-seat in his car now, thanks to Annabeth. She was definitely the one who ran this household, and Nico wasn’t going to complain. He straps Stella in, hoping that she won’t go through the current diaper before he can get another.

He’s still cursing Percy twenty minutes later when he can’t seem to find the diapers. He’s wandering up and down the aisles, swearing in a way that he hopes Stella’s still too young to pick up. He’s been in this store hundreds of times. He’s even bought diapers here at least four times. Why can’t he find them?

Nico takes another lap around the store, ducking his gaze as he passes the same handful of customers again. He’s sure they aren’t really paying attention to him, but he really hopes to not give off sleep-deprived and desperate vibes in public. He likes to save those for his room.

“New dad?” he hears. “She’s pretty cute.”

“Um, thanks. But she’s not mine,” Nico says, his eyes still fixed on the baby aisle. Where are the diapers? Gods, maybe Nico does need more sleep and less coffee like Annabeth’s been telling him. Not that he doesn’t trust her, but some truths are just too hard to swallow.

“Should I be worried?” Nico blinks. A blond guy with a shopping cart is looking at him. It’s clear he’s concerned, and Nico just hopes he hasn’t been talking out loud this whole time. He’s done that before, and it’s definitely earned him some looks. “I mean, you look pretty stressed, and you’re carrying a baby that isn’t yours.”

Nico blinks again. “You’re the first person I’ve talked to in the last three weeks that isn’t Percy or Annabeth,” Nico says in one long breath. He isn’t sure why he’s sharing this with a total stranger, but there’s something about his blue eyes and blond curls and concerned expressions that just makes Nico a bit weak. Not to mention the fact that he is actually very stressed. He came with one mission, and he’s failing horribly. “The baby’s parents,” Nico adds after a second.

“Do they know you have their baby?” the guy asks.

Nico nods. “Gods, when do I not have their baby?” He sighs, and even Stella looks mildly concerned now. “She’s only eight months, and I think she’s going to think I’m her dad instead of Percy. Not that they’re bad parents or anything. But Annabeth’s at this big conference for this project she’s been working years on, and Percy’s got this super annoying co-worker. And I’m just a freelancer, so I guess I’ve got time on my hands. But I really didn’t think about this whole thing when they told me they were pregnant. I mean, I don’t mind. She’s clearly a sweetheart, but what am I even here for again?”

Nico takes a big breath, looking at this stranger like he might know.

“Um, diapers?” he supplies. “At least, that’s what you kept repeating.”

Gods, he must think Nico’s a lunatic.

“Right, sorry.”

The guy smiles. “No worries. My brother just had a baby. Trust me. I know how it works.” He pauses. “The diapers are right down there.” Nico looks down the aisle, and he almost cries when he sees a familiar logo.

“Thank the gods,” he mumbles, and Stella lets out a gurgle. The guy follows him, and Nico raises his eyebrows.

“Thought you could use a buggy,” he says. “Can’t ever have too many diapers.”

Nico’s not going to even question it right now. He points to the brand he wants, and the guy loads at least four of them into his cart.

“Anything else you need? Food, powder, blankets? Ooh, this is a pretty cute toy.” He holds up a yellow giraffe that Nico does have to admit is pretty cute.

“Sure, whatever, yes.”

The guy smiles. “I’m Will, by the way.”

“Oh, yeah. Nico. And Stella.”

Will beams. “Nice to meet you.” Nico hardly thinks as he walks down the aisle and dumps stuff into Will’s cart. The baby stuff soon overwhelms the frozen pizzas and deli meat that Will had already thrown in there. They make one last loop around the store as Will gets his own groceries.

“You like chocolate?” Will asks.

“Um, yeah,” Nico says. “Who doesn’t?”

Will grins, humming as he looks through the selections. “How about caramel sea-salt and this chili one?” he asks as he looks over Nico. Nico feels himself flush despite the fact that he’s in baggy sweatpants and his pajama shirt. He hadn’t even brushed his hair or teeth before he left. Not to mention, he’s pretty sure an eight-month-old baby is really an attractive accessory. He’s definitely landed his fair share of hookups without babies on his hips.

Not that he thinks Will is looking him over. Or even interested in him.

“Chili?” Nico asks, closing his mouth. He hadn’t realized it was open.

“Sure. Why not? You clearly need a little treat.” Nico isn’t sure if he’s flattered or offended. He decides to choose the former. He shifts Stella to his other hip, and Will grins, dropping the chocolate into the buggy. “Alright, all set to check-out?”

Nico just nods. He’s saved from saying anything stupid by Stella spitting up on him. He makes a face, expecting Will to just drop him off at the self check-out. However, Will just leads him to the bathroom, telling him to wash up while he takes care of the groceries. His words don’t process until Nico’s wiped what he can off his shoulder.

“Wait, I can pay you back,” Nico says looking at his groceries neatly bagged in Will’s buggy.

“No need.”

Nico shakes his head. “Yeah, just give me a second.” He adjusts Stella so he can reach for his wallet, but Will stops him.

“How about this? Try the chocolate, get some rest, and then tell me if you think chilis and chocolate belong together.” Nico’s too tired to consider if this is a metaphor for something. Instead, he just nods, letting Will push the buggy towards his car.

“Thanks,” Nico says as they load the car. “You really didn’t have to do this.”

Will shrugs. “I wanted to. Nothing wrong with helping a cutie.”

Nico wishes he didn’t blush. Will was probably talking about Stella.

“You’re basically a knight in shining orange,” Nico says before he can stop himself. Will’s shirt is like construction sign orange, and somehow he makes it work.

“Glad I could help, Nico,” Will says. “If you need help sometime in the future, you’re welcome to give me a call.”

“A call?” Nico echoes. “I mean, yeah.”

Will smiles, pulling out his phone. Nico thinks this has to be the most bizarre thing he’s experienced ever. It’s clear Will needs to work on his game, but it’s also very clear that it’s working on Nico. If only he didn’t willingly third-wheel for the sake of an eight-month-old.

“I’m not an expert, but I have watched my niece and nephew a few times. And I hear babysitting is more fun as a team.”

Nico nods, watching Will key in his number. Nico’s phone buzzes in his pocket. “Well, I guess I should probably go and change her diaper,” Nico says. “Now that we have some.”

Will nods. “Of course. Take care of yourself, Nico. Nice meeting you, Stella. Don’t forget the chocolate.”

Nico has to take a few moments to compose himself in the car before he can focus on driving home.  
-  
Nico’s life is currently just weird enough that he’s certain it’s not a dream. Since meeting Will at the grocery store, it’s become a regular thing to call him every time Annabeth or Percy asks him to babysit. And at first, it was just about having some company his own age while he’s hanging out with an infant. But then it had slowly (or actually, rather quickly) become something else. Nico doesn’t remember who asked who out, but the first date had soon become a third date which was now a seventh or tenth date.

Needless to say, Nico’s completely head over heels. But it doesn’t escape him that the only reason he and Will even met was that Percy forgot to buy diapers. Because Nico’s basically a live-in babysitter at this point. That whenever he has a date with Will, he has to make sure someone else is home to watch Stella. Which is weird because Stella isn’t even his baby. Not to mention, bringing Will home. Or, well, to Annabeth and Percy’s home.

“Nice place,” Will had said the first time he’d seen it. “Spacious.”

Nico had just nodded. Will was understanding of the situation, but Nico was slowly realizing that he couldn’t live here forever. Not if he was going to keep dating Will. After all, dating someone while babysitting another’s kid kind of got confusing. Especially when they end up falling asleep on the couch one afternoon, and Nico wakes up to Will rocking Stella.

“You know that you don’t actually live here, too, right?” Nico asks.

“I know. But you were sleeping, and I had to pee.” He says it like it just makes sense. Percy and Annabeth had yet to officially meet Will. They’d seen him in passing enough know that there was a semi-strange man in their apartment every now and then. Honestly, Nico’s still trying to wrap his head around how natural Will looks holding Stella on Percy and Annabeth’s couch. How natural it was for him to just lean over and kiss Nico when he pouts. How natural everything about this feels except that neither of them pays rent for the roof over their heads.

Stella just gurgles, reaching for Will’s face as he rocks her. Nico’s heart skips a beat as he watches. This shouldn’t be as cute as it is.

“You also know that she isn’t your baby.”

Will hums. “But all babies deserve love, Nico. You weren’t supposed to wake up.”

Honestly, Nico had woken up because he was cuddled around Will and suddenly Will wasn’t there. That was another natural thing. How easy it was to sleep curled around Will.

“You’re not getting paid to babysit her.”

“Maybe I have other motives,” Will says.

“Like what?”

Will raises his eyebrows. “Fishing for compliments?”Nico shrugs. “You left me for her. Maybe I’m jealous.”

Will laughs, shifting Stella so he can look at Nico. He kisses Nico’s lips. “You’re the one for me, Nico. I knew it the third time you passed me in the store.”

Nico rolls his eyes. “Put down the baby and kiss me.”

Will snorts, but he sets Stella in her little play seat. She immediately reaches for the little bulb that swears, and Nico sighs.

“Not exactly romantic,” he mumbles.

Will tips his chin up, kissing Nico softly.

“I think we’re plenty romantic. I mean, who else have I wooed in a grocery store aisle? That’s classic.”

Nico laughs. “Sure.” Will’s kisses don’t quite drown out the honking and rattling in the background, but they’re certainly distracting. The couch isn’t quite big enough for the two of them to lay down, so they end up half in each other’s laps. Nico’s acutely aware that Percy or Annabeth could walk in any minute, not to mention the baby that’s currently playing less than romantic music.

“Next time, we go to your place,” Nico says, pulling back slightly.

“And miss out on all this?”

“I’ll cook dinner,” Nico says.

“Deal.”  
-  
So the few dates quickly morph into dating, and soon Will is over all the time. He just hasn’t met Percy or Annabeth, and while Nico’s not really all that worried, it does feel weird. Like he’s sneaking around his parents or something. After all, this isn’t his house. He’s gotten okay with inviting Will over, but sleeping over is something entirely different.

For once, Annabeth and Percy had gone to dinner and taken Stella with them. So Nico had immediately called Will over for some dinner of their own. Which had quickly evolved into a movie and making out on the couch. Which had moved into the bedroom where they both promptly fell asleep. (Nico would have liked to say he had game, but he’s exhausted. Babies really wrecked your sleep schedule.)

So when he wakes up to Will snoring softly beside him, Nico’s second thought is that he has to get Will home. (His first thought is sadly in opposition to this particular move.) He shakes Will awake, internally pouting when he’s greeted with Will’s sleepy smiles and bedhead.

“’S not morning,” Will mumbles.

“It is,” Nico says. “And you gotta go before Percy or Annabeth sees you.”

They’ve talked about this before, how awkward Nico feels about having Will sleep over in someone else’s house. They usually go to Will’s house and only on nights Nico knows Percy and Annabeth won’t notice his absence. All in all, it’s not the most healthy of circumstances, but that’s for a more awake Nico to figure out.

“Wanna cuddle,” Will whines, but he sits up. He finds his sweatshirt and shoes, almost putting them on the wrong feet. Nico’s watching the hallway, hoping that they don’t wake Stella. She was starting to sleep a bit more regularly, but it was still pretty hit or miss.

“All clear,” Nico whispers. He presses a quick kiss to Will’s lips, smiling.

They make it halfway down the hall before he hears Stella let out a loud cry. Nico’s sleep-deprived brain only provides fight or flight options, and he’s decidedly too sleepy to actually put up a good fight. He’s just shoved Will into the bathroom as Percy steps into the hallway.

“Did you wake her?” Percy asks, rubbing his eyes.

“No.” There’s a thump from the bathroom, and Nico thinks he should have turned on the light.

“Is there someone in there? Did he wake her?” Percy yawns, walking down the hall. Realistically, Nico knows he’s headed for Stella’s room.

“No, you’re just tired. Seeing things and all that. Maybe you should go back to bed,” Nico rambles. “I’ll get Stella. I’m already up.”

Percy nods slowly. “Why are you awake?”

“Have to pee,” Nico says. He gestures to the bathroom, and Percy nods again. “Just go back to bed. I’ll let you take the breakfast shift. This never happened.”

Percy looks confused for a moment before he just nods. Stella’s still crying, and Nico’s both grateful and annoyed. Gods, he needs more sleep. And kisses from Will. As soon as Percy’s gone back to bed, Nico pulls Will from the bathroom and towards the kitchen.

“Sorry about that,” he says.

Will hums. “Maybe we should tell them,” he says.

“We will. I will. I just haven’t had a good time to yet.”

Will kisses him softly. “Let’s have this conversation when we’re more awake,” Nico agrees. He hates that he’s shoving Will out of the apartment. He looks so sleepy and cute, and Nico just wants to drag him right back into his bed. But Stella’s still crying, and he lives in someone else’s apartment.

“I’ll text you later,” Will says, kissing Nico once more. “Go soothe Stella. Love you, Nico.”

Nico leans in for another kiss. “Love you, too.”  
-  
“You’re leaving us?” Percy asks. “For him? How could you do this to me?”

“It’s really happening,” Annabeth says. She’s crying a little, but Nico knows she’s mostly happy for him. “Our little boy is growing up. We’re going to miss you, Nico.”

“I knew there was someone in the bathroom!” Percy says. “I knew it!”

Nico ignores him, smiling at Will. He’s finally introduced them, and it feels good. On the one hand, Annabeth and Percy seem to take Stella more often. On the other, Nico knows he’s going to miss them. And he’ll actually have to start budgeting for real now. But he’s so gone for Will, he can’t imagine not moving in with him.

“You knew about this?” Annabeth asks.

Percy nods. “Yes! I saw him sneaking out. Nico told me it was nothing. Should have known better. I can’t believe you’re going! Who’s gonna watch Stella on date night?”

Nico shrugs. “There are babysitters out there. And nannies. Or you could just take her with you.”

Annabeth’s face says that this isn’t an option. “We’ll figure something out,” she says. “But you’re always welcome here. Anytime, okay? I know Stella will miss you.”

Nico rolls his eyes. “I can still watch Stella. Sometimes,” he adds.

Annabeth nods, sighing. “I know. I’m happy for you.”

They move in on a Sunday, and Will buys Nico flowers and chocolate. “Thought I’d leave the diapers for Percy,” he says.

“He’s going to need them,” Nico laughs. He pulls Will close, kissing him. It’s weird not to have to worry about people walking in or babies watching, but Nico thinks he can get used to it. He’s already gotten very used to waking up next to Will every morning and not to a screaming baby. He can wear his nice clothes without having to worry about spit-up, and he can kiss Will silly in any room of the apartment he wants.

His phone buzzes as he and Will are dancing the living room.

“Percy?” Will asks. “If I didn’t know him, I’d think you were cheating on me.”

“You jealous?”

Will pulls Nico in for a kiss.

“Definitely not. But you should probably respond to him.”

Nico sighs. He checks his phone, sighing again. “He’s out of diapers.” He looks at Will, smiling. “Wanna go to the store?”

Will laughs. “I’d love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is doing okay! Please stay safe :)


	9. sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will's hiding something. Nico isn't expecting the answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning: slight mention of blood and injury

Nico isn’t sure what’s going on with Will. The whole last week, he’s been dodging Nico’s texts and calls and questions. And while Nico’s never been the one to be clingy or even all that caring, he’s starting to get worried. Is Will not interested in him anymore? Is Will cheating on him? Is there something bad going on in Will’s life that he doesn’t feel comfortable talking to Nico about?

Honestly, Nico’s never one to worry, but now he’s got all of these anxious thoughts running through his mind. Which is how he ends up at Jason and Piper’s place, laying on their couch and eating ice cream.

“Never thought I’d see you like this, di Angelo,” Piper hums. 

Nico pouts. “Well, I’m here now. Are you going to be more supportive?”

Piper sighs. “I am being supportive. I’m letting you eat the last pint of my favorite ice cream while you tell me about how your boyfriend’s been dodging you.”

Jason glances at her, patting her arm. “I think he gets it, Pipes.”

“Sorry, Nico. It just makes me mad to think that Will’s a jerk.”

“I don’t think he’s a jerk,” Nico says. “Well, I don’t want to think he is.” Out of habit, Nico glances at his phone. He and Will were supposed to be going to the farmer’s market this morning, but Will had called out. Which was unusual since the farmer’s market was one of Will’s favorite things. He loved talking to all of the vendors and trying all of the samples and petting each and every dog they came across. And he always bought Nico a little gift without Nico noticing somehow.

“He may not be a jerk, but his behavior is suspicious,” Jason says slowly. “Maybe I could talk to him.”

Nico shrugs. “Wouldn’t hurt to try,” he sighs. He takes the last bite of ice cream, pouting. He misses his lazy afternoons with Will. They’d been dating for four months, and Nico had already fallen so hard. The whole thing is very much unlike him, but he was welcoming the change. Up until Will started cancelling plans and forgetting about movie nights and study sessions.

“It’s not acting clingy to wonder why your boyfriend isn’t talking to you,” Piper says softly. “It shows you care about him. And that’s really sweet, Nico.”

Nico nods, kind of embarrassed. It’s not that he wants to be hard and unapproachable, but dealing with softer feelings is always messy. He’d thought dating Will was going to be safe. (Not that it really mattered. He couldn’t say no to that sunshine of a smile.) But now it was turning ugly, and Nico just wants to get out of this without a broken heart.

“I mean, he’s always been kind of weird, right?” Piper asks. “Who makes their first date a sunrise and then doesn’t contact them until four days later?”

Nico shrugs. “I thought it was cute,” he mumbles. That was the morning after Nico had asked Will out. He’d been really hesitant at first, not sure what to make of Will’s mixed signals. But then Will had shown up at his apartment the next morning with doughnuts and blankets, and even a sleepy Nico couldn’t say no.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Jason says. “Will seems like a really good guy.”

“I really like him,” Nico says. Piper and Jason nod. Nico’s only known Will for five months, but there’s something about him that Nico can’t help but like. He was sunny and vibrant and passionate, and Nico wants all of those things in his life. Preferably in the form of Will Solace.

“We’ll figure it out,” Piper says. “And if he needs a little convincing, we can arrange that.”

Nico huffs. “I can take care of myself.”

Piper smiles, patting his foot. “I know you can. But we’re here to help if you need us.”

“I know. Thank you.”

They spend the rest of the afternoon doing homework and playing games, and no one mentions Will’s weird behavior. But it doesn’t stop Nico from checking his phone constantly or feeling disappointed every second that he doesn’t receive a single text. After all, he really likes Will. But what if Will doesn’t like him back?  
-  
Nico’s got a whole day to spend with Will, and he’s taking advantage of it. They spend the morning at the farmer’s market, and Nico smiles every time Will hops to another vendor’s stand and strikes up a conversation. After the week of no communication, Will had shown up at Nico’s dorm with popcorn and a movie. And Nico knows he should have had a talk with Will right then and there, but all he really wanted to do right then was cuddle up to his boyfriend and kiss him silly. So that’s what they did.

This week was going better. Will hadn’t cancelled a single thing, and Nico hadn’t mentioned his panic last week. He figures it’s going to come back and bite him in the butt later, but he wants to savor these moments. If bad things are coming, he wants good memories to look back on. (That’s reasonable, right?)

“What about this?” Will asks. He holds up a cute mug with a cartoon cat’s face drawn on it. “I think it’d look cute on your desk.”

Nico rolls his eyes. “I already have too many mugs. Jason made fun of me just last week saying that I’d have to get a forest of those mug trees just to fit them all.”

Will laughs. “I mean, you do have a lot of mugs. So, no mug?”

Nico shakes his head. He takes Will’s hand, smiling. It’s a nice spring day, and the sun shines just perfectly on Will. Nico almost can’t believe that last week was filled with so much worry and disappointment when this week feels like walking on a cloud.

“Want to go anywhere? Do something?” Will asks once they’ve made their rounds through the market. Nico didn’t see hm buy anything, and he tells himself not to be disappointed. Will didn’t have to buy him something every time, and Nico’s not going to admit that he treasures each item. No matter how silly they are.

“We could go back to my place,” Nico says. “Have some lunch.”

Will smiles, kissing his cheek. “If you’re cooking, I’m in,” he says. They head to Nico’s car, and Nico remembers how weird he’d found it that Will didn’t even have his driver’s license. He supposes it’s not a thing that all people in New York necessarily need, but it does come in handy.

Nico’s apartment isn’t much, but he likes it much better than the dorms. There was almost nothing worse than having to share a bathroom with twenty strangers. Except maybe to have your boyfriend cheat on you, he supposes.

“So, what do you want?” Nico asks. “I could probably make a salad. Or a stir fry. I’ve got some leftovers from the pizza place, too.”

Will wraps his arms around Nico’s waist, and Nico feels himself lean into Will’s body. “Whatever sounds good to you. Though the pizza is pretty tempting.”

Nico laughs, setting the oven so he can reheat the pizza. Feeling sorry for himself last week, he’d ordered two pizzas and only finished off half of the first. But Will doesn’t need to know that. Or does he? Nico can hear Piper’s voice in his head telling him to just break the ice, but he can’t. He doesn’t want to mess this up. He doesn’t want to lose Will.

As if on cue, Will’s phone buzzes. He pulls away to look at the screen, and Nico really hopes Will isn’t about to leave.

“Everything alright?” he asks.

Will nods. “Yeah, just some family stuff.”

“You know you can talk to me,” Nico hears himself saying.

Will puts his phone down. “I know, baby. I’m sorry if I’ve been a bit absent lately.” He pauses. “My family isn’t the most, uh, stable, and sometimes I have to take care of things for them.”

“You shouldn’t have to clean up after them,” Nico says. He knows about messy families. He’s got one of his own.

“Wish I didn’t, but that’s just the way the world spins.” He kisses Nico softly, cupping his face. “I promise it’s okay.” Nico nods. With Will’s gentle touches, Nico thinks he could believe almost anything.

“It doesn’t bother you, though?”

Will shrugs. “A little. But that’s what you do for family, right?” He pauses. “I got you a little something,” he says.

Nico feels himself smile. Will pulls a small box from his pocket, handing it to Nico. The box gives Nico no clues as to what’s inside except that it’s smaller. Nico’s first thought is that it could be jewelry, but Nico doesn’t wear anything aside from a skull ring. He opens the box.

“A pocket knife?” Nico asks. He isn’t disappointed, just confused. Usually, Will’s gifts were knick-knacks.

“It’s celestial bronze,” Will says. “Um, a rare metal and some of the regular stuff, too. I had a friend make it for you.” He gently takes the knife from Nico’s hands, flicking it open. Nico blinks. The metal gleams, almost shimmering. “It’s also engraved.”

Nico’s breath catches a little when he sees the tiny sunrise over the mountains on the handle. “Like our date?”

Will smiles. “Yeah. And also that no matter how bad things may get, the sun will always rise.” He pauses. “I’m probably not the best boyfriend, but no matter how crappy my day gets, you always make me smile. You’re my sunrise, Nico.”

And now Nico may actually be crying, and their pizza might be burning. But Nico can’t help it. He pulls Will into a hug, careful not to accidentally stab either of them. Will wipes his face when they pull away, kissing his cheeks.

“I’m trying to be better, I promise,” he says. He closes the pocket knife and tucks it into Nico’s hands. “Carry this with you and think of me?”

It’s the cheesy stuff Will always says, but there seems to be more to it this time. So Nico nods. “Of course. Thank you, Will.”

Will smiles, kissing him again before getting the pizza. It’s a little burnt, but Nico doesn’t care. Whatever’s going on with Will, it’s going to be okay. They’ll make it through this, right?  
-  
Nico thinks they somehow missed this in the get-to-know-you section of questions on their first date. After all, Will mentioned nothing about mythological monsters possibly being real. And he definitely didn’t mention anything about him having to fight them.

They’d been on their way to the movies when Will’s phone had started buzzing like crazy. Nico could hear the person on the other end, but what they were saying didn’t make sense. Monsters? Knives? Was Will part of some DnD group? Did he like to LARP? If that’s where he’s been disappearing to, Nico wonders why Will would hide that from him. After all, Nico showed him plenty of his nerdy hobbies. It wasn’t like he admitted to playing Mythomagic to just any cute guy.

“Um, Nico?” Will asks, and Nico can already tell he’s not going to like this. “Can I take a quick rain check on that movie?”

“What’s going on?” Nico asks. He’s not mad exactly. He’s definitely worried. But it’s also annoying that he has yet to sit with his boyfriend in a movie theater, and they’ve been dating for five months.

“Do you have your pocket knife?” Will asks. Nico nods. “Okay. I’m probably about to do something really stupid, but trust me, okay?”

Nico nods. So he follows Will’s directions, hesitating only a little bit when Will jumps out of the car at the next red light. Nico finds the closest parking spot, not bothering to pay. If this is that important, he can worry about a parking ticket later. He races down the street, stopping short when he sees Will surrounded by a couple of other teenagers. Who are all holding an assortment of weapons. Which, unfortunately, isn’t the most unusual part of the scene.

Nico stares as a monster (the name is escaping him in the heat of the moment) strike. Nico’s torn between calling for help, rushing in to help, and just running away. Other people on the street don’t seem as alarmed as Nico is, and some young lady actually stops him to ask if he’s alright.

“Is that a drakon?” Nico asks, finally finding his words.

The lady looks confused for a moment. “Oh, no, sweetie. It’s just those theater kids advertising again,” she says with a laugh. “You must be new to town. They do this every few weeks or so. I’m not sure the city police like them, but it hasn’t stopped them. They’re actually pretty amazing to watch, but I’m late to pick up my daughter from daycare. Enjoy the show!”

Nico watches her leave. Was he going crazy? He hears a terrible screech, and he chances to look over again. He’s lost track of Will, and something propels him forward. If no one else was going to help, Nico wasn’t just going to stand by and let his boyfriend get killed by this monster thing. Even if Nico was probably hallucinating.

“Hey, kid! Watch out!” a girl calls to him. “This isn’t the time to play hero!”

“I’m looking for my boyfriend,” Nico calls. “Will Solace?”

The guy behind him curses, and Nico sees that he’s got a long scratch down his arm. He seems unconcerned by this, and Nico tells himself not to stare.

“You’re his boyfriend?” Nico nods.

“I told him it wasn’t a good idea.”

“Wait, did he give you the knife?” another guy asks. Nico fumbles in his pockets for the gift, pulling it out. The guy’s face lights up. “Dude, you like it?”  
Nico nods again. “Where’s Will?”

“I’m Leo,” the guy says. “And your boyfriend is probably over there. Just stay out of her way.” He gestures to the monster, and Nico gives him a thumbs up.

“Poor kid,” he hears as he rushes off. “Told Will not to get attached.” Nico ignores the comments, scanning the sidewalks for where Leo had pointed. He jumps as a knife comes flying past his shoulder.

“Nico!” Will pulls him down to the ground, hugging him close. “What are you doing here?”

“You just jumped out of a car. There’s a monster on the street. You’re throwing knives! And glowing?” Nico’s mind is racing, but he catches Will wince.

“Um, yeah. Remember when I said my family was complicated? This is what I meant.” Nico nods slowly. “I promise you can ask whatever you want later, and I’ll answer as honestly as I can. But right now, I need you to stay safe, okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Nico shakes his head.

“Okay, can you watch Butch for me? He took a pretty nasty swipe.” Will pauses, grabbing something out of his bag. Nico wonders if Will’s ever carried books in there. If he doesn’t, where does Will keep all of those textbooks he’s always reading from? Will shoves something into his hands. “Here, can you spread this on the cut? It’ll probably sting, but that means it’s working.”

Nico nods, watching as Will dashes back onto the street. He turns to Butch.

“Um, hey,” he says, not sure if he’s supposed to talk to him like he’s seen in movies. He uncaps the container, surprised when he smells honey. He dips two fingers in the ointment and looks over the guy. There are a few nasty scrapes on his arm and face.

“You a friend of Will’s?” Butch asks. Nico nods. “He’s a pretty great guy.” He pauses, snorting. “You must be a pretty great guy if Will’s going through all of this trouble to keep you around.” He takes a sharp inhale as Nico spreads the cream around. He lets the guy keep talking as he tries his best to do his job and process what’s happening.

It makes a little sense, he supposes. All of Will’s disappearances and random scrapes. He claimed he was clumsy, but Nico’s seen Will move. He was passionate about medicine and healing, and he always talked about it like he’d actually done it before, though Nico was pretty sure those weren’t the kinds of things school allowed testing on. And, Nico thinks, frowning, this explained the nightmares.

They didn’t happen too often when Nico was around, but the first night Will slept over at Nico’s, he’d woken up in cold sweats. Nico had found him hunched over the toilet. It’d only happened twice more, but Nico had a feeling it happened when he wasn’t around. And it’d explain why Will sometimes looked like he was sick when he claimed he felt perfectly fine. Nico had originally chalked it up to anxiety and/or some traumatic childhood incident (since Will hardly talked about childhood), and now he’s realizing it could be all of this.

It’s maybe thirty minutes later when Will comes back. He’s got a few scrapes and his skin is flushed, but he seems otherwise okay. Nico feels his mind being stretched again when he watches Will heal some of the other guys. Gashes become scrapes and broken arms become sprains. Will seems to glow.

“Leo, you and Malcolm take care of this mess. I’ll stay with Will and Butch,” the girl says. “And nice to meet you, Nico. I’m Clarisse.”

Nico reaches out to shake hands. Clarisse grins. “Can you do that, too?” he asks.

Clarisse shakes her head. “Nope. That’s Will’s specialty. I’m more of a physical combat person.” Nico nods slowly. Clarisse helps Butch up, patting his back. She nods towards Will, handing him a container of cream. “Go talk to him. I know you’re probably freaking out.”

Will’s sitting on a bench, and it looks so ordinary and mundane, Nico almost believes he’s hallucinated the whole thing. Only, he can’t quite miss the golden knives sitting beside Will or the scratches on his arms.

“Um, Clarisse told me to bring this to you,” Nico says. Will looks up.

“You’re still here.”

Nico shuffles on his feet. “Yeah.”

“Do you want to sit down?” Will moves the knives, dumping them into his bag. He looks exhausted. “I can take that cream,” he adds.

Nico unscrews the lid, shaking his head. “I can do it,” he says.

Will nods, holding out his arm. “I’m sure you’ve got a lot of questions.”

Nico snorts. “Yeah, but they can wait if you’re not ready. Well, I mean, like wait until you’ve eaten and slept. Because I think that’s as long as I can wait.”

Will laughs. “Fair enough. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this earlier, but I wanted to protect you. And maybe, it was a little selfish to think I could keep you in the dark forever. But you deserve a boyfriend who doesn’t have a complicated life like this.”

Nico shrugs. “I mean, you haven’t met my family yet,” he says. “Who’s to say it’s any less complicated?”

“Well, for starters, my dad’s not really dead, and I’m surprised he hasn’t struck me down for that lie yet,” Will says. And Nico listens while Will explains. He asks questions until Will looks like he’s going to fall asleep in the middle of an answer, and Clarisse helps carry Will back to Nico’s car. Somehow, the most surprising thing of the day is that he doesn’t have a parking ticket.

“Will’s a good guy,” Clarisse says. “It’s okay if you don’t want a single part of this, but give him a chance, okay?”

Nico nods. They take Will back to his place, and Nico sees the apartment in a new light. It’s sparse because he doesn’t have a lot of stuff. He can’t cook because no one taught him. He doesn’t have a driver’s license because he might not have made it past sixteen. His closet is full of medicines, and his windowsill is full of herbs not for cooking but for healing. His bookshelf is packed with books but also jars of ointments and pictures of all of his friends.

Clarisse tucks Will in.

“Wait,” Nico says. They’re standing in Will’s kitchen. “Is there a chance this will work out?”

Clarisse gives him a sad smile. “I’m not going to say it’s easy, but love is always worth it, yeah? But make the decision together. Whatever choice you guys make, it’ll be easier together.” She pats his shoulder, grabbing an apple from Will’s fruit bowl. “See you later, di Angelo.”  
-  
Nico doubts he gets much sleep. He’s stayed over because he’s worried about Will needing him. The scrapes didn’t look bad, but Nico isn’t sure that there isn’t more to them. And now that he knows the source of Will’s nightmares, Nico doesn’t want him to be alone. Will’s soft snoring relaxes him, and Nico curls up on the couch. He tries to text Jason and Piper, but he isn’t sure what to say to them.

How do you tell your best friends that your boyfriend is a demigod and fights monsters when he’s not doing his schoolwork?

Nico manages to drift off for a little bit, but he wakes to the sound of footsteps.

“Didn’t mean to wake you,” Will says, rubbing his eyes. He still looks exhausted, hair sticking up and shirt wrinkled. His scrapes have scabbed over.

Nico shrugs, patting the couch beside him. Will hesitates before grabbing a blanket and sitting. Nico curls into his arms, and he can feel Will let out a long breath.

“Do you want me to go?” he asks.

Will presses a kiss to his hair. “I never want you to go. But I want to protect you, too.”

“Tell me about the knife,” Nico says.

“Celestial bronze kills monsters and can’t harm mortals,” Will says softly. “But I let Leo use the regular metal to make sure you were protected from anything. I’ve seen the nightly news. I was foolish to think you were never going to find out, but I wanted to make sure you had something in case you ever needed it.”

“Do my other gifs ward off monsters?” Nico asks.

Will gives him a crooked smile. “Some of them do. The scents throw them off, and the charms might add protection. But I also really like seeing your smile and making you feel special,” he says. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Nico nods. He’s looked at those pictures on Will’s bookshelf so many times now. How many of those people has Will lost?

“I don’t want to go anywhere,” Nico says. “But do you think this will work?”

Will hums. “It’s amazing you can see through the Mist.” He cards his fingers through Nico’s hair, kissing his forehead. “I want to make it work. I want you in my life.” He pauses. “But I might not always be there. And I don’t want this to make you a target.”

“Could you train me? I mean, I don’t want to fight. But that might make this easier. I don’t want to make you worried.”

“I’ll always worry, Nico. Side effect of having a messed up family.”

Nico laughs, hugging Will closer. “I don’t want to break up. I want to help you. Any way I can. Even if it’s just being here for you to come back to.”

Will blinks, looking teary. “Are you sure? You’re allowed to back out of this. I won’t hold it against you.”

Nico shakes his head. “Nope. You’re mine. I’m not letting you go.”

Will smiles, tears falling now. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

“Maybe the gods were watching out for us.”

“Don’t stroke their egos,” Will mumbles.

Nico can’t help but kiss Will. He’s sure they’ll have rough days, more days like today and days worse than today. And Nico’s still not completely sure what he’s just agreed to, but he trusts Will. They’ll make it work. He’s not letting Will go through this alone.

“Look, Will,” Nico says. He nods towards the windows. He watches as Will’s smile grows and a joyous laugh pours out. Nico wraps the blanket around them, holding Will close. “I have no idea what I’m going to tell Jason and Piper.”

“I can help,” Will says. “I’ve had some practice.”

Nico smiles. “Together, yeah?”

Will kisses his lips. “Together.”

They hold each other as they turn back towards the window. And they watch the sun rise.


	10. happy birthday, will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just some will solace appreciation (aka fluff) because we all love to feel appreciated :)

“Can I say I told you so yet?” Nico asks. He’s long given up trying to crouch behind the bunk beds and is now just laying on Will’s bed. They’ve been here for over an hour, just waiting. And now arguing. “Did none of you guys think this through?”

“Well, someone was supposed to be keeping an eye on him,” Lou Ellen shoots back.

“Sorry, next time I’ll just tell my dad I have other things to do,” Nico says. He knows it’s partially his fault, but you can’t really say no to the god of the underworld. Especially when he’s your dad and trying to keep chaos from unleashing onto poor, defenseless mortals.

“You did have other things to do!” Cecil says.

“I guess we should have traded jobs, then,” Nico huffs. He’s not entirely upset that he’s just lying here. If anything, he’s gotten time to rest and recover from the job his dad had given him. He knows Will would be proud of him for taking care of himself like this. That is, if Will were actually here and not still in the infirmary.

“So who are we blaming next?” Lou Ellen asks. “The Stolls?”

A chorus of agreement goes around the room, and Nico rolls his eyes. If Will wasn’t currently occupied in calming down and treating a bunch of ten-year-olds, Nico would gladly march into the infirmary and steal Will away. But he’s not dealing with ten-year-olds, and he knows Will’s one of the few people at camp who can do this effectively and efficiently.

“What even happened?”

“I don’t know, but it sounds like glitter was involved,” Kayla says. “I’m so glad I wasn’t there.”

“Why aren’t you there?” Cecil asks.

“Because I worked six shifts last week, and Will insisted that I take days off. So I’m taking today off because I looked through the windows, and that is a mess I don’t want to be involved in.”

Nico picks up one of Will’s stress balls, tossing it in the air. He’s not stressed. Bored, actually. But Will had a nice collection of stress balls and stimming toys, and it gave Nico something to do. Everything for the party was already set up, had been set up, for over an hour.

“Do you think he’ll be up for a party when he gets back?” Cecil asks. “I mean, ten-year-olds can be draining.”

Nico listens to everyone chip into the conversation. When he’d first heard about the party, he’d been a little unsure. But there were a lot of things he’d do for Will. And his job hadn’t really been all that difficult. He was just supposed to spend the day with Will and keep him company while everyone else got set up. However, that was all ruined when Nico’s dad showed up. Nico felt bad for leaving Will on his birthday, but when did the gods ever care about that?

At least his dad had dropped off a present for Will. Nico’s sure Will’ll like it, if he ever gets to see it.

“Maybe someone should go and check on him,” Kayla says. “I mean, there should be other people working. Austin’s there. And Lacy.”

Nico listens for a moment as everyone pitches in before sitting up.

“I’ll go.”

“You’re not just ditching us, are you?” Cecil asks.

“I’m not answering that,” Nico says. He puts the stress ball back in Will’s nightstand. “Just try not to eat the cake before we get back, yeah?”

“No promises until we see Will,” Lou Ellen says.

Nico doesn’t respond, already out the door. It’s later than he thought it was. The Apollo cabin was always bright. He braces himself before he walks into the infirmary, not sure what to expect. On any given day, the infirmary could be both the most relaxing and the most stressful place in camp.

“He’s in his office!” Lacy calls when she sees Nico. He gives her a wave, steering clear of the piles of glitter on the floor. He definitely doesn’t want to know what happened.

Nico knocks on the door of Will’s office. It was mostly an emptied supply closet that Will had shoved a desk and chair into. It wasn’t really functional, but Nico supposes it’s the thought that counts in this situation. Will’s currently sitting on the desk, a selection of papers scattered around him.

“Oh, hey, Nico,” he says. “You’re not injured, are you?”

Nico shakes his head. “Just wanted to say hi,” he says.

Will smiles. “Did you finish whatever your dad wanted you to do?”

“Yeah, just busywork, really. I’m fine.” Nico steps into the office as someone rushes past them. “Um, seems busy tonight.”

Will snorts. “Yeah, I still haven’t figured out what the Stolls did this time. All I know is that this is going to be chaos to clean up. I locked myself in here to try and figure it out.”

“Want to go somewhere else?” Nico asks. “I can make sure no one will find us.”“That is maybe the most ominous and romantic thing I’ve heard from you, Nico,” Will says.

Nico blushes, rolling his eyes. “Is that a yes?”

Will nods. “Yes, let’s go. I need a break. Oooh, can we go to the lake?”

Nico sighs. He really can’t so no to Will, especially on his birthday. But he also promised that he’d have Will at his party. He supposes he never said when.

“Sure.”

Will beams, hugging Nico as they shadow-travel. The lake is quiet tonight, probably because everyone is either planning revenge on the Stolls or hiding from them. Fireflies dance around, which Nico honestly finds kind of creepy. But he knows Will likes them.

“Thanks, Nico,” Will says. He sits on the grass. “I have no idea when I would have left.”

“Probably never.”

Will lays his head on Nico’s shoulder. Nico’s trying to think of a smooth way to get Will back to his cabin without him expecting anything. They had all worked hard to make sure it was a surprise, and Nico doesn’t want to ruin it. Well, more than it might already be ruined.

“We should have brought food. I’m hungry,” Will says. He sounds sleepy, too, and Nico’s wondering if Will really would be able to stay awake enough for a party.

“You did miss dinner. Which is too bad since Percy started a food fight because they dared to serve meatballs again.”

Will laughs. “I’m sure it’ll happen again.”

Nico smiles, wrapping his arms around Will. “If you’re hungry, we should get food. And before the harpies come out.”

“Is it really that late?” Will asks.

“Another hour, but yeah. I hadn’t realized either.” He sighs. A whole day that was supposed to be dedicated to Will, and they’d hardly spent any time together.

“Do you have food in your cabin?” Will asks.

Nico does, but he shakes his head. “I think I left it in your cabin,” he says slowly.

Will looks surprised for a moment before nodding. “Okay. I’m so hungry I don’t even care if it’s just a bunch of junk food.”

Nico snorts. “I have trail mix, too! That’s healthy.”

Will smiles, shifting to kiss Nico’s cheek. “That is healthy. Proud of you, baby. Now, let’s go eat.”

Nico shadow-travels them once more, fidgeting a little before he opens the door. The lights are still on, but no one jumps out to say surprise. Instead, it looks like they’ve all fallen asleep.

“Um, what’s this?” Will asks, stepping inside. Lou Ellen and Kayla are in one bed. Cecil’s passed out on the floor, hugging a pillow. A few other campers are sprawled in the various beds.

“Surprise,” Nico says, waving his hands in the air. “They were obviously supposed to be awake.”

Will smiles, heading over to where the food is set up. It’s cold by now, but neither of them cares. They each take a few slices of pizza and cake, sitting on Will’s bed.

“Should we wake them up?” Nico asks.

Will shakes his head. They’ve dimmed the lights now, letting the various nightlights illuminate the cabin. “Let them sleep. We can all celebrate in the morning maybe.”

“I do have a present for you,” Nico says. “So you can open at least one gift on your actual birthday.”

Will grins, looking excited now. He finishes off his pizza while Nico goes to get his gift. He’d hidden it so that he could give it to Will later. Well, earlier, actually. It’s wrapped a little roughly, but it’s the gift that matters.

“Oh, and Dad and Persephone have a gift, too,” Nico says. He hands Will the flower crown, smiling when Will immediately puts it on. “I don’t know how long it’s supposed to last, and she told me all the meanings of the flowers. But I don’t remember. Which might’ve been her plan so that you’ll visit her soon.”

“You know I love visiting her,” Will says. “And the flowers are beautiful.”

Nico nods, handing Will his gift now. It wasn’t quite as impressive as a never-wilting flower crown, but he did have some skills.

“A necklace?” Will asks. He lifts the charm, a wooden etching of a sunshine. “Did you do this?”

“Yeah. There’s a message on the back.”

Will blushes, looking a little teary as he reads the short message. “I love you, too. Will you put it on me?”

He turns so Nico can manage the clasps. It looks nice with his camp necklace, and Nico’s pretty proud of himself. He’s not going to tell Will how many splinters he’d gotten trying to get it right.

“So, wanna stay the night?” Will asks. “It’d really suck if you got eaten by harpies on my birthday.”

Nico laughs. “Only if you promise not to touch me with your cold feet.”

“You’re the one with cold feet. And hands. And nose,” Will says, but he scoots over so Nico can lay down. Nico pulls the blankets over them, snuggling close to Will.

“Sorry your birthday didn’t quite go as planned,” Nico says. “But I hope it was still good.”

Will hums. “It was amazing, Nico. I’m really surprised no one ate the cake.”

Nico laughs. “I think Lou Ellen threatened everyone. But now we can just have cake for breakfast.”

“I guess I could make an exception,” Will says, yawning. “Cake is really good.”

Nico kisses Will’s cheek. “Happy birthday, Will. Get some sleep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, I hope you are all doing okay and staying healthy :) sorry I'm not writing too much lately, but if you have prompts, I'd love to hear them! (I'm posting this fic here because I don't have any of the other days planned haha)


	11. we're friends, right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico's got a crush on Will, but Will has a girlfriend. Right?
> 
> (also, I know it's not even close to thanksgiving— if you do celebrate— but autumn is in the air, and I'm ready for it haha)

Nico supposes it’s his luck that the guy he’s been crushing on for the past few weeks has a girlfriend. It’s not that Nico has low self-esteem, but he does have a bit of trouble talking to cute guys. And this guy might be the cutest Nico’s ever seen. Which sucks because now Nico can only look.

“What’s got you in a sour mood?” Jason asks.

“Life,” Nico huffs. Jason ignores his drama, settling on the couch as his video game loads. “Will came by today,” he adds.

“Did you talk to him?”

“Not more than usual. Because he came by with his girlfriend.”

Jason glances over at him. “That sucks. You sure they’re dating?”

Nico nods, wanting the image out of his head. “They were holding hands, and she kissed him on the cheek once.” They’d come in while Nico was sitting at the reference desk, and he kept looking over at them. They’d sat next to each other, laughing quietly and joking around in between studying. They’d even shared a granola bar. And then Will had borrowed the girl’s oversized sweatshirt when he got cold, which was cute. But Nico wishes Will had been wearing his sweatshirt.

“I’m sorry, man. But at least you didn’t embarrass yourself.”

Nico supposes that’s true. He hadn’t actually asked Will out only to get turned down. And maybe Will wasn’t even into guys since he had such a pretty girlfriend to date.

“I guess it’s fine. At least most people don’t do gross stuff in libraries.”

“That you know of.”

Nico makes a face. “If you know anything, keep it to yourself.”

“So you just going to mope for a bit?”

Nico shrugs. There isn’t really anything he can do. He’s not going to try to break Will up with his girlfriend, and Nico’s not one for hookups. So he’s just going to wait for this crush to pass and hope that the next guy he falls for is single.  
-  
Of course, none of that happens. If anything, Will just gets cuter. He comes in one morning— a weekend!— with a scarf around his neck and a beanie pushed down over his curls. His cheeks are pink as he scans the room for an empty table. Nico watches as he heads towards a table by the large windows, setting his stuff down before heading towards Nico.

Nico takes a moment to panic before calming himself down. He can do this. Will’s just a guy. A very cute guy. With a girlfriend.

“Hey, do you think you could look up this book for me?” Will asks.

Nico takes too long to glance down at the paper Will’s holding out. He takes it, typing the title into the database. He’s pretty sure he’s seen Will scanning the aisles like a pro, but he’s not going to question this little interaction. If anything, it breaks the monotony of scanning in books and doing his homework.

“It looks like we have the book, but it’s checked out,” Nico says. Will nods.

“Well, guess I’ll have to try again later.”

Nico just nods.

“Thanks, though.”

“Um, you can put it on hold, if you want. So when it gets returned, you’re next in line.” Will smiles.

“Sure, do you need my number?” It takes Nico a moment to realize that Will’s asking if he can give Nico his phone number. And he really wants to say yes, but he doesn’t need that temptation in his life.

“Just your student ID,” Nico says. Will rattles off his ID, looking a little disappointed. “Thanks. You should get an email when the book can be picked up.”

Will nods. “See you around, Nico.”

Nico definitely doesn’t watch Will walk back to his table and start studying. And he doesn’t double-check that they don’t have the book Will wanted. And when Will’s girlfriend comes by later with tea, Nico definitely doesn’t pretend that he has to go shelve books somewhere else in the library.  
-  
Things don’t get better. Well, depending on how you looked at it.

Nico didn’t usually study at the campus coffee shop, but he was having a day which included forgetting his keys. And on a night that Jason had a late class. So he was camping out here for another hour or so until Jason could let him in. He supposes the coffee shop isn’t the worst place to hang out. It was quiet in the evening, and the smell of coffee was nice. Soft music was playing overhead, and no one was talking too loudly.

Nico sighs, pulling out his homework. He stared down at the math problems, cursing whatever rule there was that you had to take at least one math course during college. Nico didn’t need to know this. Well, maybe stats was useful, but Nico doesn’t think he needs to know it this in-depth. And without a calculator? It takes him forever to solve the first set of questions before moving on to an entirely new set of numbers.

He startles when a plate comes into his line of vision.  
“I didn’t order-“ he starts before realizing he’s talking to Will. “Um, hi.”

Will smiles. “I just thought you could use a little snack,” he says. “You’ve been glaring at that homework for a while. I don’t know what it did to you, but cake usually helps.”

Nico eyes the chocolate cake. Did Will really just bring him cake?

“I’ve just had a crappy day, and even on a good day, I hate math.”

Will nods. “Well, if you ever want to vent, I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener.”

Nico’s not sure why he actually takes Will up on his offer, but he just starts rambling. Will takes the seat across from Nico, nodding and frowning in all the right places. When Nico’s finished, Will gets up, and Nico thinks he’s finally ruined his chances at anything with Will. But Will just comes back with two cups of tea.

“Sorry, I don’t know if you drink tea, but I thought coffee and cake might be a lot of caffeine.”

Nico cups the tea close, warming his hands. “I should be sorry, I just complained for ten minutes while you’re at work.”

Will smiles. “I don’t mind. I did offer. What’re you working on?”

“Math. Stupid stats. There are just too many numbers, and it takes me forever to put them in the charts and then actually do stuff with them.”

“Do you need help? Or it’s okay if you don’t. I can just leave you to your cake.”

Nico thinks he might actually cry if Will left him alone right now. So he takes a sip of tea to collect himself.

“I could use some help if you don’t mind.”

Will scoots closer, and Nico busies himself with his cake. He’s trying not to think about how Will’s arm is brushing his as he reaches for a pencil or how Nico could actually count the freckles across Will’s nose. Or just kiss him. If Will were to turn his head, Nico could kiss him.

But he can’t think like that. Will had just given him cake and was helping him with math.

“So do you know where you’re tripping up? Or is it just overwhelming?” Nico just nods. Will seems to understand as he pulls the homework sheet closer to him. He reads the second question aloud before walking Nico through the problem. He makes sure that Nico’s following along before moving on, and Nico doesn’t know how Will can be such a nice person.

“You got this, Nico. Just gotta take it one number at a time, though I do agree it can be tedious sometimes.”

“I hate numbers. Why can’t all the math people just handle the numbers?”Will laughs. “I take it you’re not a math person?”

“I’m a history major. I only use numbers to tell the date. But apparently, everyone has to take math. Which sucks. Because not everyone has to take history.”

“We probably all should,” Will says. “I mean, I will probably horrify you if I ever had to create a timeline or try to tell you historical battles and whatnot.”

“What’s your major?”

“Biology. Though I’m thinking I might change it.”

“To what?”

“Either botany or environmental science. Or maybe both. Who knows?”

Nico smiles. He can totally see Will out in nature, collecting plants and advocating for the environment. “I think you’d be good at that.”

Will beams. “Thank you, Nico. And I’m sure you’ll be a great historian or whatever you want to do.”

Nico laughs. “Right now, I really want to work in a museum. But I’ll be in school for a while before then.”

He’s finished his cake and tea, and it definitely helped. Though maybe not as much as just talking to Will. (Why did Will have to have a girlfriend? He was so nice and sweet and funny. Well, that was probably why. Nico feels like he should ask about her, but he wants to stay in his happy bubble for a while longer.)

“That’s still cool, though,” Will says. “I can’t wait to graduate and be out in the world for real.”

“Kind of scary, though, too,” Nico says.

Will shrugs. “Well, they say anything worth doing is at least a little scary, yeah?”

Nico doesn’t know what to say to that. “Thanks for the cake. Definitely made my day.”

“Good to hear. If you ever need some help with math or just a little pick-me-up, you’re welcome to stop by anytime.” He pauses. “Though I’m not always working, so maybe you’d want my number?”

Nico blinks, not sure he’s heard correctly. He’s still debating how to answer when Jason rushes into the shop.

“Nico, gods, I’m so sorry. Lecture went over, and then my phone died.” He stops when he sees Will. “Oh, hey, Will. Thanks for keeping Nico company.”

Will smiles. “No problem.” He glances at Nico before collecting the dishes. “I should probably start cleaning up, I guess. Have a good night, Nico.”

Nico doesn’t know if he should glare at Jason or thank him for interrupting. Why did Will keep trying to give Nico his phone number? Sure, it was a friendly enough thing, but didn’t he know how tempted Nico would be to actually use it? And then he’d just develop a deeper crush on Will instead of getting over him.

“Dude, you sure he’s got a girlfriend?” Jason asks. “You two were looking pretty cozy.”

Nico thinks back to the girl. “He was just helping me with my homework.” Jason doesn’t look convinced.

“If you say so.”  
-  
Somehow that one homework session became multiple sessions, and Nico can’t even try to pinpoint how it all started. Will would stop by the library and talk with Nico for a bit before going off to work on his own stuff. Sometimes he’d bring Nico food or a drink. And then some days Nico would find himself in the coffee shop, asking Will to help him through some math problems again.

All in all, Nico was pretty sure Will saw him as nothing more than some poor guy who couldn’t read data to save his life. Or maybe they were at least friends. After friends brought each other food, right? Well, Nico didn’t bring Will food, but he only had books.

“Hey, we’re having a Friendsgiving next week,” Will says. “Want to come? All you have to do is bring some kind of dish for maybe ten people.”

Nico shrugs. He’s not sure he wants to see Will and his girlfriend together. He was getting the impression they lived together, and now she had a name. Piper. And it sounded like they were meant for each other. Will talked about how they’d met, told funny stories about them, and had even called out of work because Piper had gotten sick or something. So it was clear Will was head over heels for his girlfriend, and Nico wasn’t going to be a homewrecker.

“Um, sure, sounds fun,” Nico says. He wasn’t doing anything over the breaks and it’d probably be more fun to hang out with Will, even if his girlfriend was around, than to be alone.

“Cool. I can text you the details,” Will says, already putting his number into Nico’s phone. They’d been using it as a calculator to check some of the homework questions, though because it’s not a graphing calculator, Nico does actually have to do everything long-hand. “And whatever you want to bring is fine. We’ll eat anything.”

And Nico knows Will said that to take any pressure off, but that doesn’t stop Nico from researching recipes and trying them out on Jason.

“Dude, I thought you were trying to get over him.”

“Doesn’t mean I want to serve him crappy food,” Nico says. He’s settled on a casserole dish, and Will has texted him the date and location. Nico has to resist the urge to text Will back with anything less than casual.

“So you’re completely sure Will doesn’t like you?” Jason asks.

“We’re friends, I guess,” Nico says. “Friendsgiving.”

Jason sighs, turning to look at Nico. “But he’s been low-key flirting with you for at least a month. And you haven’t seen this girlfriend around lately, have you?”

Nico has to think about it. “Well, she did pick him up from work the other night,” Nico says. Piper had walked in, and Will had stood up to hug her. Then he’d told Nico they were off to catch a movie that Piper had been wanting to see all year.

“How did he introduce her?”

“What do you mean?”

Jason looks unimpressed. “Well, pretend you were dating Will. You’d probably introduce him as your boyfriend, right? Whereas you’d introduce me as your friend.”

“Um, I think he just said her name or something. But he probably thought I already knew. Which I do. And they were going on a date obviously.”

Jason looks frustrated for some reason, but he just nods. “Well, have fun at your Friendsgiving. I’ll be here if you want to bring home any leftovers.”

Nico feels nervous as he walks up to Will’s apartment. He’s never been here before, and he’s not honestly sure who all will be here. He’s never met Will’s other friends. He adjusts the casserole dish in his arms before knocking, hoping that this was the right door.

“Nico, hey, come in,” Will says. “Welcome, make yourself at home. You can put your food over here.”

Nico smiles, taking in the excited Will. He was wearing a sweater with what looked like a hand-painted turkey on it. Nico surveys the other food before Will’s asking him if he wants anything to drink and points out the appetizers.

“Nothing fancy, but Piper said we couldn’t have a party without cheese cubes.”

Nico makes a small plate of food, following Will into the living room. He’s introduced to everyone, trying to remember all of their names. He can’t quite interpret the looks he gets when Will introduces him.

“This is everyone, basically,” Will says. “Except Piper. She ran out to get more whipped cream, I think, though we’ll end up with more than just whipped cream.”

“So what usually happens?” Nico asks.

“Depends. Usually, we just play games and hang out. It’s really just an excuse to eat a lot of food and relax before finals.”

Nico’s about to ask what finals Will had when Piper arrives. True to Will’s word, she’s also brought home a house plant and more cheese cubes.

“All yours, Will,” she says, handing him the plant. “You know I’ll kill it.” Will sighs, but there’s no frustration behind it. He sets it up in their kitchen windowsill. Piper grins, kissing Will’s cheek before heading into the living room.

“If she gets to be too much, let me know. She pretty much feeds off of social interaction, and she’s been cooped up studying the past week so she’s overdue.”

After a bit, Nico starts to relax. Someone starts a board game, and then there are at least two Uno games going on. Nico learns that Will’s competitive, and it’s funny to watch him get so passionate about strategy even when the game is mostly chance.

“You know I won fair and square,” a girl says. Nico thinks her name might be Lou Ellen. “Better luck next time, Will.”

Will pouts, heading into the kitchen to get some more water.

“Who wants to play Charades?” Piper asks.

Nico can tell this is a group favorite as everyone starts arguing over teams, and then there’s a rush as everyone gets in line for food. It’s nice in a domestic way, everyone leaning over each other and serving up food. Nico gets a spoonful of fruit salad he’s sure was supposed to be on someone else’s plate but he’ll take it. Everything looks good.

“Okay, teams are as follows,” Piper says. “Will, Cecil, and Nico.” She pauses. “Me, Leo, and Lou.”

Everyone settles on the couch or floor with their plates as Piper pulls out a scoring sheet.

“We have to do it in permanent marker,” Will says, leaning over. “Or else there will be complaints about cheating. We’re all very serious.”

Nico learns that immediately. It’s Will and Piper against each other, and Nico’s pretty sure they’re going to get noise complaints. He’s not even sure someone’s following the score. But it’s still fun just watching everyone being relaxed and silly. The food is amazing, and Nico tries to get out of his turn by getting seconds.

“Nope,” Will says. “Everyone has to go at least once.”

Nico pouts as he reaches into the cup. He’s honestly not sure who came up with these things because some of them have been really hard. Luckily, he gets an easy one, though he does feel a little ridiculous acting like a chicken with its head cut off.

“That wasn’t so bad, right?” Will asks. Nico shakes his head. If Will’s going to grin at him like that each time, Nico would go up there again. He manages to snag seconds before the third round. Nico doesn’t know how the game keeps getting harder but soon Will’s acting out entire scenes from movies. If Nico didn’t know any better, he’d say that Will should have become an actor.

“This is probably my favorite day of the year,” Lou Ellen says, leaning over. “Including Christmas. And it’s always nice to meet new people. Especially since some of the other regulars couldn’t make it.”

“And we’ve all been eager to meet you, too,” Piper adds. “Will was so excited when you agreed to hang out with us.”

“It’s been fun,” Nico says. “Glad I was invited.” Maybe he could get Jason an invite next year. He’d definitely fit well with this crowd, and Nico does feel a little bad for leaving him alone.

“Don’t distract Nico!” Will pouts. “He’s supposed to be guessing.”

“Well, no one was watching the timer,” Cecil says. “So point us!”

“You guys just don’t appreciate my talent,” Will says flopping on the couch.

“You can’t get a point if no one guessed,” Piper says.

“Then we at least deserve a redo. No distracting him!”

“You know I can’t help being amazing,” Piper says. “Plus, I was trying to get to know him. Gods knows you don’t tell us actual details.”

Will blushes at this. Nico feels momentarily confused. It was clear Will and Piper had a close-knit friend group, so maybe that was why they all wanted to know about Nico and why Will was talking so much about him. But that still didn’t make a lot of sense.

“Sorry I didn’t make a PowerPoint presentation,” Will says.

“You have been rather secretive,” Lou Ellen says. “I mean, I didn’t even know he existed until Piper told me.”

“I knew he existed,” Cecil says. “But only because Will called me.”

“Guys,” Will groans. “I told you not to embarrass me.”

Nico’s just watching it all happen like a ping pong game. He’s not sure who’s winning or what the point even is. “Um, should I know what’s happening?” he asks.

Piper’s eyes get big, and she looks at Will. “You didn’t tell him?”

“Well, I’m not going to now,” Will says. “In fact, I think it’s time for pie. Last one over here gets to test out Leo’s next invention.”

This gets people moving, and soon everyone’s crowded into the kitchen. Nico still doesn’t know what’s happening, but he catches a few looks between Piper and Will. Oh, gods, what if Will does actually kind of like him and it’s causing tension between him and Piper? Nico doesn’t know when his life got so dramatic.

Everyone settles down once they have at least two slices of pie on their plates, and Cecil puts on a movie. Nico doubts anyone is actually watching it, though. Leo’s tinkering with something, and Lou Ellen and Cecil are whispering to each other. Only Piper seems to be watching it after giving Will a look Nico couldn’t interpret.

He and Will are sitting beside each other on the couch.

“Sorry about earlier,” Will says. “Hope that wasn’t too embarrassing or awkward.”

“Can I know what it was about?” Nico asks. “I mean, I really hope I haven’t caused any tension between you and Piper.”

Will shakes his head. “No, we’re good. We don’t actually fight much, even if it seems we do.”

“So? What were you going to tell me?”

Will ducks his head, taking a big bite of pie. It takes him forever to chew and swallow, and Nico just waits. His own pie is sitting on his plate, but he’s a little too nervous to eat it.

“Oh, um, well,” Will starts. “This is totally not how I’d planned on telling you. At all. I’m usually way more charming and put together than this.”

Nico waits.

“Gods, this is so embarrassing,” Will mumbles. He covers his face for a few moments before peaking through his fingertips. Nico catches Piper giving them a thumbs up. “I maybe kind of, no, I really like you. And I was wondering if you’d like to go on a date with me? Sometime not today.”

Nico blinks, trying to process Will’s words.

“It’s fine if you say no. I know I’ve been acting like a total idiot.”

“Wait,” Nico says. “You like me? But what about Piper?”

“What about Piper?” Will asks, looking confused.

“Isn’t she your girlfriend?”

At this, Will starts laughing, startling everyone. “No, she’s just my best friends. Gods, no, we’d be horrible together. Plus, she likes someone else.”

“But I saw her kiss you!” Nico says.

“Yeah, we just do that,” Will says slowly. “I mean, we basically have very few boundaries. But we’ve never been attracted to each other. Is that okay?”

Nico nods. “Yeah, as long as you weren’t cheating on her.”

“Nico, if he were cheating on me, he wouldn’t be alive right now,” Piper says. Nico blushes, realizing that everyone probably is listening in on them right now. “But are you going to answer his question? Because we’ve all been waiting for ages.”

“Guys,” Will whines. “You’re supposed to be good friends and pretend you’re not here.”

“Oh, Will,” Piper says. “You trust us too much. We just wanna root for you!”

“Um, I like you, too,” Nico says. Will’s face breaks into a smile before he leans closer.

“You’re not just saying that because they’re all staring at us, right? Because I would totally understand.”

Nico shakes his head. “No, I’ve had a crush on you for a while.”

At this, the room gets loud again as everyone’s talking over each other. Will just sighs, leaning closer again so Nico can hear him.

“So I take that back. Do you want to go somewhere now?”

Nico grins. “Are you asking me out?” Will nods. “I’d love to.”

They leave to a chorus of cheers from Will’s friends, Nico’s hand in Will’s. He texts Jason on their way to the coffee shop, rolling his eyes when he gets a reply.

Jason: Finally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, everyone, long time no upload, but here's a fic that's been bouncing around in my head for a while :) I'm open to prompts if anyone has any, though it may take a little longer to get them uploaded. I hope everyone has been doing okay or at least doing their best :) many hugs and blessings to you all!

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are appreciated :)


End file.
